Nitric oxide (NO) therapy is used to manage cardiopulmonary conditions such as pulmonary hypertension or hypoxemia. Inhaled NO acts as a vasodilator and improves blood flow to well-ventilated areas of the lung. It is commonly used for newborns with PPHN (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn).
During NO therapy, an NO delivery device is connected to a conventional ventilator. NO is dosed into the inspiratory ventilator airstream at a low concentration. To synchronize the NO delivery device with the ventilator, airflow to the patient is measured in real time and the NO gas flow is controlled based on these flow values. This way, NO concentration is administered accurately to the ventilated patient. This precise control of NO delivery is very important since overdosage or interruptions in treatment may lead to patients’ conditions quickly deteriorating.
Our flow sensors offer accurate proximal flow sensing that can track the flow rate driven by the ventilator, even when flow rates are low and change quickly, for example, in the case of neonates. The flow sensors make use of standard medical cones to comply with standard breathing circuits, are robust in harsh proximal conditions and can be cleaned or disposed of to avoid cross-patient contamination. Thanks to the reliable and quick flow control, the dosage of NO can be controlled in real time.
