In early 2020, countries around the world found they needed more ventilators to help patients critically ill with COVID-19. We look at the different types of ventilator and why it is important for the right type of ventilator to be used for critical patients.
As global medical authorities dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, it soon became apparent that many countries had insufficient supplies of critical care ventilators to successfully cope with the threat. Responses varied, from the idiosyncratic – the TV medical drama donating its working set props – to the more straightforward – a government calling on manufacturers to switch all production to ventilators.1
While these approaches were understandable in the early days of the pandemic, the results were not always successful. It has been reported that several countries spent large sums on inappropriate ventilators.2 This was not just financially damaging but it could also, potentially, result in further damage to the patient or even death.
Critical care patients need a ventilator that is specifically designed and tested for use in the most life-threatening situations.
Ventilators come in a variety of different types. These can be broadly split into ventilators for home use and ventilators for clinical use. The simplest machines are those that can be used in the home:
Critical patients being treated for COVID-19 needed access to the most advanced form of ventilator – the critical care ventilator. All ventilators primarily deliver O2 to a patient, but the way in which this is achieved can have a profound effect upon the outcome for the patient.
A critical care ventilator must have:
Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/437, of March 24, 2020, contains a list of harmonized standards for medical devices in support of Directive 93/42/EEC. These include:
The standard for critical care ventilators is listed as:
It should be noted, this standard does not necessarily cover the requirements introduced by Directive 2007/47/EC. Additionally, this standard dates from 2006 and has not kept pace with the speed of ventilator development. Therefore, manufacturers tend to follow newer and more relevant standards:
Ventilator evaluations must be made in all conditions to ensure the correct amount of O2 is always delivered to the patient:
IEC 60601-1-2 also contains the frequency with which ventilation should occur, in accordance with the patient category.
SGS has considerable experience in testing ventilators of all types to ensure they conform to relevant standards. In the end, a product is only trusted because it’s tested.
Our state-of-the-art laboratories offer testing and certification to a wide variety of global standards, including:
Learn more about SGS Electrical and Electro Medical Device Testing.
For more information, please contact:
Antonio Velasco-Mota
Medical Devices Test Engineer
SGS Germany
t: +49 89 78 74 75 441
1 Coronavirus: Holby City donates ventilators to London Nightingale hospital & Government calls on manufacturers to help make NHS ventilators
2 The U.S. has spent billions stockpiling ventilators, but many won’t save critically ill COVID-19 patients & Coronavirus: Hundreds of ventilators UK bought from China 'are wrong type and could kill patients if used'
