Portable drag compressor powered mechanical ventilator

A method of providing pulmonary ventilation to a mammalian patient, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a rotary drag compressor device comprising:
• i) a housing having an inflow passageway and an outflow passageway formed therein;
• ii) a rotor rotatably mounted within said housing such that rotation of said rotor in a first direction will draw gas into said inflow passageway, compress said gas, and expel said gas out of said outflow passageway;
• iii) a controller for controlling the rotation of said rotor within said housing, said controller being operative to cause said rotor to intermittently accelerate and decelerate in accordance with desired flow rate and pressure of inspiratory gas and in accordance with stored individualized compressor characterization information so as to deliver discrete periods of inspiratory gas flow at said flow rate and pressure through said outflow passageway;
• b) connecting the outflow passageway of said rotary drag compressor to a conduit through which respiratory gas flow may be passed into lungs of the patient;
• c) accelerating said rotor to a first rotational speed for sufficient time to deliver in accordance with desired flow rate and pressure a desired inspiratory gas flow through said conduit at said flow rate and pressure and into the lungs of the patient;
• d) stopping said rotor or decelerating said rotor to a basal rotational speed to terminate the inspiratory gas flow through said conduit and to allow an expiratory phase of a ventilation cycle to occur.

A rotary drag compressor ventilator device for delivering inspiratory gas flow to a mammalian patient, said device comprising:

• a) a rotary drag compressor having an intake port and an outflow port;
• b) an inspiratory gas flow passageway for carrying gas from the outflow port of the compressor to the patient during an inspiratory phase of a ventilation cycle;
• c) means for accelerating said compressor at the beginning of the inspiratory phase of the ventilation cycle to deliver inspiratory gas flow through said passageway to said patient;
• d) means for controlling said compressor during the inspiratory phase of the ventilation cycle to maintain a desired inspiratory pressure and flow rate in accordance with stored individualized compressor characterization information;
• and
• e) means for decelerating said compressor at the end of the inspiratory phase of the ventilation cycle.