Small animal mechanical ventilator with control software

• Grant number: 12/00905-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: May 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Biomedical Engineering - Bioengineering
• Principal Investigator: Henrique Takachi Moriya
• Grantee: Rogerio Bonatti
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mechanical ventilation is indispensable to modern medicine, being used whenever patients, on their own, are not able to sustain the optimum blood oxygenation. Biomedical Engineering is present in the project and design of new ventilators, as well as in the evaluation techniques of the respiratory mechanics performed during mechanical ventilator assistance. Laboratory experiments are commonly performed with rats and mice, and due to the small tidal volume involved, the equipment's precision must be superior to the one involving human patients. Purpose: development of a mechanical ventilator for small animals, whose airflow is provided by the displacement of the piston from a linear motor and the creation of software for the piston's control and for opening and closing solenoid valves that regulate the animal's ventilation. Methods: A linear motor (LM 1247, Faulhaber, Germany) will be connected with the piston of a glass syringe and controlled by a LabVIEW 2010 (National Instruments, USA) software and a digital-to-analog board. Solenoid valves will also be controlled by the board, and a physical structure for the ventilator will be built.(AU)