# Improved Systems for Respiratory Support

> **NIH NIH R44** · MINNESOTA HEALTHSOLUTIONS CORPORATION · 2021 · $751,545

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Minnesota HealthSolutions Corporation (MHS) and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) propose the
development and validation of a novel system for creating custom-fit respiratory interface appliances for the
purpose of improving non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for infants and children in the intensive care unit (ICU).
Technology advancements in NIV have improved outcomes for critically ill patients, but unfortunately, most
neonates and children do not achieve the full benefits of NIV, particularly bi-level ventilation, because they are
unable to effectively synchronize breaths with the non-invasive ventilator. This is because pediatric NIV patient
interface appliances often have significant air leakage, which, when combined with the fact that children
generate smaller changes in airway flow, prevents the ventilator from reliably sensing patient effort. The
resulting ventilator breaths are asynchronous with patient effort, leading to ineffective ventilation, higher patient
effort of breathing, and worsening lung injury. To overcome excessive leakage and inadequate triggering,
clinicians often tighten interfaces, resulting in skin breakdown and pressure ulcers. NIV related pressure ulcers
are becoming amongst the most common complications in intensive care units. The lack of effective NIV leads
to higher rates of intubation in neonates and young children, with unnecessary exposure to medications which
harm the developing mind, longer ICU lengths of stay, and iatrogenic complications such as infection, ventilator
induced diaphragm dysfunction, and post-ICU impairment in quality of life. Ventilator manufacturers are
searching for solutions to this problem because many previously developed products have not gained
widescale commercial use since they are invasive or have substantial technical limitations when applied to the
infant or neonate. The proposed project will develop and evaluate an innovative system for rapid in-hospital
production of custom-fit NIV respiratory interfaces.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10274746
- **Project number:** 4R44HL150926-02
- **Recipient organization:** MINNESOTA HEALTHSOLUTIONS CORPORATION
- **Principal Investigator:** Nick Rydberg
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $751,545
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10274746

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10274746, Improved Systems for Respiratory Support (4R44HL150926-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10274746. Licensed CC0.

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