Respiratory Physiology and Ventilation Fundamentals

This course provides hospital equipment service technicians with essential knowledge of respiratory physiology and the fundamental principles of mechanical ventilation. Learners will explore respiratory anatomy and gas exchange, focusing on concepts critical to equipment function like lung compliance, airway resistance, and time constants. The curriculum details pressure, volume, and flow relationships and their application in positive pressure ventilation. Key ventilation modes, including Volume Control, Pressure Control, SIMV, Pressure Support, PEEP, and CPAP, are thoroughly examined. Technicians will gain proficiency in identifying and understanding trigger, limit, and cycle variables, as well as interpreting pressure/volume/flow waveforms and loops. The course also covers common clinical alarms, explaining their significance to equipment performance and troubleshooting.

InstructorPatrick Powers

Course outline

Lectures, virtual labs, and graded assignments — completed in your browser.

01Respiratory Anatomy and Gas Exchange for Service Technicianslecture

02Lung Compliance, Airway Resistance, and Time Constantslecture

03Pressure, Volume, and Flow: Ventilator Operating Principleslecture

04Fundamentals of Positive Pressure Ventilationlab

05Volume Control Ventilation Principles and Operationlecture

06Pressure Control and Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (SIMV)lecture

07Pressure Support, PEEP, and CPAP: Advanced Ventilation Conceptslecture

08Midterm Review and Applied Ventilation Practicelab

09Ventilator Trigger, Limit, and Cycle Variableslecture

10Interpreting Pressure, Volume, and Flow Waveformslecture

11Analyzing Pressure-Volume and Flow-Volume Loopslecture

12Understanding Common Ventilator Clinical Alarmslab

13Troubleshooting Ventilator Performance Based on Alarms and Waveformslecture

14Ventilation System Service Project: Functional Verification and Troubleshootingassignment

Syllabus

Course Objectives:
1. Describe the fundamental anatomical structures of the respiratory system and the physiological principles of gas exchange relevant to positive pressure ventilation.
2. Calculate and interpret lung compliance, airway resistance, and time constants, explaining their impact on ventilator settings and patient response.
3. Analyze pressure, volume, and flow waveforms and loops to identify common physiological conditions and ventilator-patient asynchrony.
4. Differentiate between major ventilation modes, including Volume Control, Pressure Control, Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation (SIMV), Pressure Support (PSV), Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP), and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), explaining the function of each.
5. Identify and explain the purpose of trigger, limit, and cycle variables in positive pressure ventilation.
6. Interpret common clinical alarms on a ventilator, correlating them with potential machine malfunctions, patient conditions, or circuit issues.

Grading for this course will be structured as follows: Knowledge Checks 10%, Assignments and Labs 30%, Quizzes 25%, and Final Exam 35%. Each component is designed to assess your understanding and practical application of the course material.

To successfully complete this course, students must develop familiarity with the operational principles and user interfaces of various types of respiratory ventilators, including critical care ventilators, transport ventilators, and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) devices. This familiarity will extend to understanding setup procedures, basic troubleshooting, and the identification of common alarm conditions across different platforms.