Medical Device

Ventilators, Negative-Pressure

Body ventilators that assist ventilation by applying intermittent subatmospheric pressure around the thorax, abdomen, or airway and periodically expand the chest wall and inflate the lungs. They are relatively simple to operate and do not require tracheostomy. These devices include the tank ventilators (iron lung), Portalung, Pneumowrap, and chest cuirass (tortoise shell).