Breathing Easier

A new type of breathing ventilator that will soon be commercialized has been developed by the respiratory health network, Inspiraplex. The ventilator works on the principle of "Proportional Assist VentilationTM" (PAV)^TM, a new concept developed after eight years of research by Dr. Magdy Younes, a principal Network investigator at the Respiratory Hospital in Winnipeg. PAV works by letting the ventilator respond to the individual breathing needs of patients, unlike conventional systems that predetermine the amount of pressure or air that is needed.

"The Network made it possible for us to put this concept to the test. We were able to hire engineers to design and build a prototype ventilator from scratch, based on the new PAV concept. The advantage with this concept is that existing ventilators can be modified to deliver proportional assist," notes Dr. Younes.

This leading technology, coupled with an interest in the Network's approach to R&D;, and the Winnipeg area's strength in respiratory research, is attracting industry. Two companies, Puritan-Bennett Corporation and Respironics Inc., have obtained non-exclusive licences for the prototype hardware and concept from the University of Manitoba, the research centre that holds the patents. A British manufacturing company — Medix Pharmaceuticals Inc. — is now establishing a subsidiary plant in the Winnipeg area to develop products relating to respiratory health.