ResMed, a medical device company, has announced the launch of its Astral 100 and Astral 150 life support ventilators in select European and Asia-Pacific markets.
ResMed claims that the two life support ventilators offer unparalleled mobility and ease of use for patients with neuromuscular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other adult and childhood breathing disorders.
Astral 100 is an entry-level model in the new generation of the company’s portable, lightweight and user-friendly life support ventilators. The device has excellent leak compensation and a single valve circuit system with one integrated QuickConnect tube and leak circuit options.
The life support ventilator has the ability to use non-invasively or invasively with a mask, mouthpiece, or tracheostomy.
Astral 150 is a more versatile solution that builds upon the features of the Astral 100 life support ventilator by adding a double-circuit system to more accurately measure a patient’s exhaled breath in real time and the ability to monitor the actual percentage of enriched oxygen used by a patient.
Astral 150 also includes manual breath and sigh features to mimic natural breathing patterns, and the option to configure up to four ventilation programs that can be set to meet a patient’s changing daily requirements.
Recently, the Astral 150 life support ventilator earned a prestigious Red Dot Product Design Award for 2014.
The Astral 100 and Astral 150 life support ventilators offer an eight-hour internal battery and a weight of only 3.2kg. Two optional eight-hour external batteries provide a total run-time of 24 hours.
ResMed Respiratory Care strategic business unit president Geoff Neilson said that the company took nothing for granted when designing the Astral family of life support ventilators.
"We listened to patients, physicians, and providers, and addressed their pain points related to ventilator mobility; Astral is a solution that maximizes mobility and functionality," Neilson added.
Astral ventilators feature large, intuitive, easy-to-read touchscreen display and with real-time pressure and flow data for a comprehensive picture of a patient’s condition. The touchscreen functionality can be accessed without removing the device from its mobility bag for patients taking advantage of the ventilator’s enhanced portability.
Featuring eight customizable breathing modes, these two ventilators ensure that patients receive optimal treatment to manage their specific respiratory requirements.
Depending on patient needs, therapies can be adjusted so that patients can gradually be weaned off the ventilator after a period of time, if appropriate.
The Astral 100 and Astral 150 life support ventilators are expected to be available in the US in later 2014, pending the US Food and Drug Administration approval.
Image: ResMed’s Astral 150 life support ventilator. Photo: Courtesy of PRNewswire/ResMed