Ventilator terminology is often confusing.  Different manufacturers call the same ventilator function by different names.  A named ventilation mode on one ventilator interacts differently with the patient than on another ventilator using the same mode.  Educators have difficulty teaching and evaluating students because of the wide range of meanings for the same term.  Student and clinician responses vary due to their experience with a particular ventilator during their day to day practice. 

ISO 19223: Lung Ventilator Vocabulary and Semantics, was developed over a 12-year period to try to solve these difficulties.  The purpose of this website is to provide background information and support to those using this standard for the first time.  Its format has been chosen to make it suitable for personal study as well as the basis for group presentations. 

The main slideshow presentation endeavours to show the thinking behind the structure of the vocabulary so that students, clinicians and manufacturers can understand the meanings, contexts and relationships of terms and how they are used – aspects that cannot be fully explained with the restraints of the format required for an ISO vocabulary. 

It is fully appreciated that realization of ISO 19223 was only possible with the significant contributions made by the manufacturers, clinicians, engineers, human factors specialists, researchers and students who participated in its preparation.

Particular motivation came from the participants at the 2014 AAMI/FDA Summit, Creating a Culture of Safety.  Participants were presented with some of the concepts that were to become part of ISO 19223.  AAMI elected to make the publication and promotion of ISO 19223 their premier clarion theme.

We welcome you to view the slide show to introduce you to the concepts and new vocabulary.  The slides will advance automatically, or click on a slide to advance to the next one.  The illustrations that inspired the figures in the standard are here.

Steven Dain MD, FRCPC
Norman S. Jones PhD