Pacing System Weans Patients Off Mechanical Ventilation

An innovative, non-implanted device helps forestall invasive mechanical ventilation weaning failure, including for COVID-19 patients.

The Lungpacer Medical (Vancouver, Canada) Diaphragmatic Pacing Therapy System (DPTS) is a minimally invasive, temporary, transvenous phrenic-stimulation system that is delivered via a central venous catheter (CVC). DPTS delivers not only fluids and medications, but also provides the ability to activate the diaphragm muscle via transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation. The neural stimulation is intended to strengthen the weakened diaphragm--atrophied due to ventilator induced diaphragm dysfunction (VIDD)--and help patients wean off the ventilator more rapidly.

Reducing time on the ventilator decreases the risk of ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), secondary pneumonias, and poor patient outcomes associated with prolonged mechanical ventilation. It also frees up intensive care unit (ICU) beds, hospital resources, and mechanical ventilators, effectively reducing ventilator burden by a projected 26% during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. As a result, the Lungpacer DPTS was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use for the duration of the pandemic, unless authorization is revoked or terminated sooner.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as SARS-COVID-2, has stimulated tremendous innovation to improve outcomes for these patients,” said Doug Evans, CEO of Lungpacer Medical. “I am very proud of the Lungpacer team, who have worked diligently to make this therapy available in a very short period of time. We are excited for the opportunity to provide healthcare professionals with access to Lungpacer therapy to help their critically ill patients.”

“Hospital resources around the world have been under significant strain during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ICU beds and mechanical ventilators have been at peak demand,” said pulmonologist Ali Ataya, MD, of University of Florida Health (Gainesville, FL, USA). “This novel therapy has the potential to wean patients earlier from the ventilator and free up resources during these difficult times. We are looking forward as an institution to start using this technology to help our patients during this pandemic.”

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