eVent

The greatest challenge of pandemics and epidemics is the overload of intensive care units and the supply of respirators to patients. Artificial respiration is always necessary when spontaneous breathing is insufficient or fails. Indications are for example respiratory diseases, poisoning or during anesthesia. The most commonly used method is mechanical ventilation. However, this has various technology-related medical and organizational deficiencies. Potential adverse effects include lung injury, infection, and ventilation-induced dysfunction of the diaphragm, which is thought to be due to diaphragmatic inactivity.  

In addition, mechanical ventilation requires a great amount of personnel effort. This is needed not only during the period of ventilation, but also during weaning. Each of these days delays a possible rehabilitation.

These technology-related deficits can only be answered by a fundamentally new approach for artificial ventilation.

The goal of the eVent project is to explore a new method of artificial ventilation. The project is based on electric ventilation. Here, the phrenic nerves are electrically stimulated non-invasively, thereby addressing the body's own musculature. Innervation of the diaphragm causes a natural breathing movement. This can be used alone or as a complement to previous ventilation methods. In contrast to mechanical ventilation, subsequent weaning is only necessary to a reduced degree or is not necessary at all.  
The partial aims of the project are the development of novel stimulation electrodes with associated holding mechanisms, the construction of an electrode array for individual stimulation and the investigation of optimal stimulation signals. Electromagnetic simulations will be created to support and validate the practical work.

Together with the cooperation partners, the construction and development of a stimulator will be carried out. This is to be used for research into electric ventilation in subject studies.

The research conducted within the framework of the eVent project has the potential to improve patient-specific treatment, shorten hospital stays and relieve the intensive care staff.