New home mechanical ventilator provides clinical-quality ventilation at home

	home mechanical ventilator for long-term ventilation in the home environment

Luebeck, Germany, August 13, 2004 – Dräger Medical AG & Co. KGaA is introducing Camena, a new home ventilator that provides clinical-quality ventilation for domestic use, to the public at the annual meeting of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) on September 4-8, 2004, in Glasgow, UK.

With the support of patients and a six-member scientific team of international experts, the team of Dräger Medical, Netherlands, created this innovation in only one-and-a-half years. The result is a home mechanical ventilator designed especially for long-term ventilation in the home environment.

Patient-oriented system technology

Camena provides both invasive and non-invasive ventilation. A new feature, Volume Guarantee, safeguards gas exchange by guaranteeing the target tidal volume range. The device offers pressure-supported and pressure-controlled ventilation. Modes such as CPAP, Bi-Level and PCV further provide versatile ventilation performance. The AutoSlope software feature automatically adjusts the respective inspiration curve to provide comfortable, patient-specific ventilation.

Designed specifically for use in a home setting, Camena weighs only 4.8 kg and measures 385 mm x 175 mm x 275 mm (L x W x H). More importantly, it is extremely quiet and operates at 10 mbar with <29 dB(A) and at 18 mbar with <32 dB(A). The display provides additional convenience – automatically going blank after two minutes. The user interface contains two levels: the professional user interface displays pressure and flow curves, and the patient interface displays the settings and alarm information in case of occurrence. The number of alarm events, their causes, as well as trends, can be stored internally for up to one year. Set values can only be set and changed by physicians. In addition, specific parameters can be “tagged” so that patients can, if necessary, adjust settings themselves – also via the optional remote control. The integrated Rescue Mode ensures that ventilation continues even in the unlikely case of a pressure sensor failure. Mobility and service

Camena also supports patient mobility. For example, the system can be used in a car, boat or an ambulance due to the 12 V – 24 V power connection. Camena is also ideal for use with wheelchairs. A built-in battery serves as a power backup supply for up to 2 hours of ventilation. And an optional external battery can add another 20 hours of backup power.

To ensure that the delivered gas is clean, the system includes a highly effective particle absorption (HEPA) filter that removes dust particles and bacteria. Service and maintenance is covered by remote service and diagnosis and backed by DrägerService®. This saves time and money, and makes patient location no problem.

Bas Dirkson, General Manager at Dräger Medical B.V., Best, Netherlands, and Head of the Business Unit Pre & Post Hospital Care, has the following to say about Camena: “Fifty years ago, Dräger’s Poliomat revolutionized the market for home mechanical ventilation. Based on this technology, which was actually first developed by Dräger in 1906, we have combined today’s scientific knowledge with patient requirements to find a solution that not only meets our standards for innovation but also elevates the quality of care.”