A Brief History of Ventilation Therapies: Negative Pressure Ventilation: The first use of negative pressure ventilation appeared in 1838. Known as the “tank ventilator”, this allowed a patient to sit inside a box while only a person’s head remained outside open to ambient air. A pressure gauge was fitted to the outside of the box...Read More

What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)? Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects the muscles used for movement. It is a progressive disease that causes muscle weakness and atrophy, leading to difficulties with mobility and everyday tasks. In this blog post, we will delve deeper into the various aspects of...Read More

The Glenn, and Fontan Procedure Medical advancements have revolutionized the way we approach various health conditions, including congenital heart diseases. Among the surgical procedures aimed at addressing these conditions are the Glenn and Fontan procedures. These interventions have proven to be life-changing for patients and their families, providing hope and improved outcomes. Understanding Congenital Heart...Read More

What is High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO)? The problem of clearing the airways of those ill with pulmonary diseases has been a challenge for ages. Typically, coughing to clear obstruction works well for those with normal lung function. However, the immune system and airway mucous clearance mechanisms need to work together to keep our...Read More

Headlines from around the country predict what they are referring to as a “Tri-demic”, a triple threat on our health systems of RSV, Covid-19, and the Flu, and point out that the coming season will be bad for all respiratory related illnesses. Respiratory distress in anyone is highly relatable. Who hasn’t experienced some shortness of...Read More

Oscillate, Expectorate, Ventilate – Repeat  Our cardiopulmonary system has a built-in mechanism that upon sensing mucus production in the lungs, reflexively removes them. That built-in mechanism is often sufficient for individuals with normal lungs that may be infected with an acute infection, however, for those with compromised lungs due to chronic illness, it becomes a...Read More

How Does BCV Work? Biphasic Cuirass Ventilation (BCV) or continuous negative pressure cuirass ventilation (CNEP), facilitates normative inspiratory pressure(s) that correct FRC loss by moving the proper anatomy (intercostal muscles and diaphragm) into normal physiological position which “holds open” the chest wall and allows for volume loss, the true source of most respiratory impairments to...Read More

Functional residual capacity (FRC) is the volume of air present in the lungs at the end of passive expiration. At FRC, the opposing elastic recoil forces of the lungs and chest wall are in equilibrium and there is no exertion by the diaphragm or other respiratory muscles. FRC is the sum of expiratory reserve volume...Read More