[Design and validation of an automated testing system for essential performance parameters of ventilators].

Abstract

Traditional manual testing of ventilator performance is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to errors in data recording, making it difficult to meet the current demands for testing efficiency in the development and manufacturing of ventilators. Therefore, in this study we designed an automated testing system for essential performance parameters of ventilators. The system mainly comprises a ventilator airflow analyzer, an automated switch module for simulated lungs, and a test control platform. Under the control of testing software, this system can perform automated tests of critical performance parameters of ventilators and generate a final test report. To validate the effectiveness of the designed system, tests were conducted on two different brands of ventilators under four different operating conditions, comparing tidal volume, oxygen concentration, and positive end expiratory pressure accuracy using both the automated testing system and traditional manual methods. Bland-Altman statistical analysis indicated good consistency between the accuracy of automated tests and manual tests for all respiratory parameters. In terms of testing efficiency, the automated testing system required approximately one-third of the time needed for manual testing. These results demonstrate that the designed automated testing system provides a novel approach and means for quality inspection and measurement calibration of ventilators, showing broad application prospects.