Battery performance of 4 intensive care ventilator models

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Safety

Background:

• Hospital electrical power failures pose a significant risk in intensive care units (ICUs).
• Backup generators may fail, necessitating reliable internal batteries for life-support equipment.
• The operational duration of internal batteries in ICU ventilators is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the internal battery operational duration of four different intensive care ventilator models.
• To determine the variability in battery performance within the same ventilator models.
• To inform clinicians about potential differences in battery life during power outages.

Main Methods:

• Four ICU ventilator models (Evita XL, Puritan Bennett 840, Avea, Servo 300) were tested under various settings (volume/pressure control, PEEP 0-20 cm H2O).
• Specific models (Evita XL, Servo 300) were further tested with multiple units to assess inter-device variability.
• Settings included fraction of inspired oxygen at 0.6 and PEEP at 5 cm H2O for variability testing.

Main Results:

• Ventilator battery duration ranged from 20.5 to 170.5 minutes (mean 80.4 ± 49.3 min).
• Inter-device variability within the same model showed a range of 5-69 minutes (mean 28.9 ± 21.4 min).
• Compressor use significantly reduced battery duration; breath type and PEEP levels had minimal impact. No correlation was found between battery duration and battery age.

Conclusions:

• Significant variability exists in the internal battery operational duration across different ICU ventilator models and even within the same model.
• Clinicians must be aware of these battery performance differences to ensure patient safety during electrical power failures.
• Understanding device-specific battery limitations is essential for critical care management.