There are a couple of new home ventilators on the market in Texas, and Apple Homecare Medical Supply patients are beginning to use them
with excellent results.
The Vivo 50 ventilator is designed for use in patients 10 Kg and up, and the newest ventilator, Vivo 65, is designed for use in patients as small as 5 kg.
Vivo ventilators, manufactured in Sweden, have been used in Europe for years and started showing up in the United States in 2014.
Both Vivo 50 and Vivo 65 weigh 11 pounds, offer optional built-in pulse oximetry, end tidal CO2 monitoring, and can measure FIO2 inline.
The internal battery can operate the ventilator for up to 4 hours and an external "clip-on" battery, weighing an additional 3 pounds, increases the operation time on battery power another 8 hours!
Vivo ventilators can be used with non-proprietary passive or active circuits, support both invasive and non-invasive ventilation modes and include a target volume feature that helps ensure a consistent tidal volume is delivered to the patient.
They also have a leak compensation of up to 90 ml - larger than other popular home ventilators on the market.
The Vivo has an information button allowing users to highlight an item on the screen. Press the I button and get instant on-screen information about what that feature, setting, or measured value is all about.
The Vivo, in clinical mode, displays pressure, flow and volume wave forms.
It also has a home adjust mode allowing the patient or caregiver to adjust multiple parameters within limits prescribed by a physician.
This ventilator saves up to a year's worth information internally even without the SD card in place and downloads quickly for informational reports for physician use.