PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Branson, Richard D AU - Johannigman, Jay A TI - Innovations in Mechanical Ventilation DP - 2009 Jul 01 TA - Respiratory Care PG - 933--947 VI - 54 IP - 7 4099 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/54/7/933.short 4100 - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/54/7/933.full AB - New features of mechanical ventilators are frequently introduced, including new modes, monitoring techniques, and triggering techniques. But new rarely translates into any measureable improvement in outcome. We describe 4 new techniques and attempt to define what is a new invention versus what is innovative—a technique that significantly improves a measurable variable. We describe and review the literature on automated weaning, automated measurement of functional residual capacity, neural triggering, and novel displays of respiratory mechanics.