2021/04/06 by Michelle Dundek, Michelle L Dundek, Ellie Ng +7
Medicine · #Airway Management and Intubation Techniques #Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Studies #Neonatal Respiratory Health Research
paper · pdf · doi:10.4187/respcare.08948
crossref issued 2021/04/06 · crossref published 2021/04/06 · crossref published-online 2021/04/06 · openalex publication_date 2021/04/06 · crossref created 2021/04/06 · crossref published-print 2021/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref deposited 2026/04/06 · crossref indexed 2026/07/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
BACKGROUND: Despite its established safety, efficacy, and relative simplicity, CPAP treatment is not widely available for newborns and infants in low- and middle-income settings. A novel bubble CPAP system was designed to address the gaps in quality and accessibility of existing CPAP systems by providing blended, humidified, and pressurized gases without the need for electricity, compressed air, or manual power. This was the first study that tested the performance of the system with a simulated patient model. METHODS: In a spontaneously breathing 3-dimensional printed nasal airway model of a preterm neonate, CPAP performance was assessed based on delivered pressure, oxygen level, and humidity at different settings. RESULTS: Preliminary device performance characteristics were within 5% among 3 separate devices. Performance testing showed accurate control of CPAP and oxygen concentration at all settings with the bubble CPAP system. Lung model pressure and oxygen concentration were shown to stay within ±0.5 cm H 2 O and ±4% of full scale of the device settings, respectively, with relative humidity > 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Performance testing of the bubble CPAP system demonstrated accurate control of CPAP and oxygen concentration with humidity levels suitable for premature newborns on noninvasive support.