Small, Portable Ventilator Offers Options

A new bi-level, compact ventilator has built-in audible and visual alarms, eliminating the need for external pressure monitors. The unit is suitable for noninvasively treating respiratory failure in the emergency department or obstructive sleep apnea in the patient's home.

Called the Puritan-Bennett KnightStar 330, the ventilator weighs only 2.7 pounds, making it easy to transport. The product of Mallinckrodt, Inc. (St. Louis, MO, USA), the KnightStar 330 is significantly smaller than its predecessor, the KnightStar 335, which weighs 20 pounds. The 330 offers a wide pressure range of 3-30 cmH2o, enabling it to accommodate virtually any patients requiring noninvasive ventilation. Adjustable settings for inspiratory and expiratory sensitivity and rise time are designed to enhance patient comfort and compliance. The unit is compatible with the Puritan-Bennett family of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) interfaces.

"It is extremely easy to transport within the hospital and unobtrusive for patients using it at home,” says Chip Seals, product manager at Puritan-Bennett. "With a low 30 dBA sound output, the unit allows patients to sleep with minimal noise disturbance.”




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