Abstract: The invention relates to a system for mechanical ventilation comprising transducers for measurement of airway flow rate, pressure and CO2 and at least one computer that records and analysis the transducer signals. The operator defines physiological specified goals or accepts default values. Specified physiological goals relate to CO2 exchange and to volumes and pressures so as to minimise deleterious effects of ventilation. On the basis of physiological information about the respiratory system characterised according to the principle of volumetric capnography and lung mechanical parameters, the computer performs analytical calculations in order to identify one or more modes of ventilator operation leading to specified goals. Such a mode of operation is implemented manually or automatically in one or more steps. The physiological outcome of resetting is reported and an alarm is issued when the outcome deviates from expectations.

Abstract: In an apparatus and method for examining the pulmonary mechanics of a respiratory system, in order to obtain information about the mechanical properties of the respiratory system's lungs, during an expiration of a flow of gas streaming out of the respiratory system is modulated, the volume of gas streaming out of the respiratory system is determined, the variation in pressure in the respiratory system is determined, and an expiratory pressure-volume relationship is determined from the expiratory volume and the expiratory variation in pressure.

Abstract: In order to select an optimal ventilation mode for mechanically ventilating a patient, from among a number of ventilation modes, a mathematical description of the patient's respiratory system is produced in a computer from measured parameters related to properties of the respiratory system, and in the computer the mathematical descriptions for different modes of ventilation are tested on the mathematical description to obtain simulated results. An operator can selected a mode of ventilation to be analyzed by comparing the simulated results with a therapeutic goal, so that an optimal ventilation mode can be selected. Alternatively, the computer can iteratively test a number of modeled ventilation modes to identify the ventilation mode which comes closest to the therapeutic goal.