Digital Twins for Non-Invasive Respiratory Support

Non-invasive respiratory support is widely used in patients with acute respiratory failure to help mitigate the need for intubation and invasive mechanical ventilation. Whilst non-invasive interventions can provide clinical benefit when successful, patients who require intubation after being treated non-invasively often have worse outcomes. As a group, we have been exploiting the cardiopulmonary simulation platform to:

• Explain why some patients fail non-invasive support
• Optimise the support settings provided by non-invasive support
• Assess the accuracy of measures of lung injury for patients receiving non-invasive support

Types of Non-Invasive Respiratory Support

High Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC)

HFNC provides a patient with a constant, humidified, high velocity gas mixture through the nares. This helps to clear CO₂ from the airways and provides some distending airway pressure during expiration.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)

CPAP provides a constant pressure delivered via a helmet or tight fitting face mask. As the pressure is constant, CPAP does not help a patient breath directly but instead the constant pressure helps to keep airways open throughout the breath.

Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV)

Like CPAP, NIV provides pressure support to a patient via a helmet or tight fitting mask. NIV differs from CPAP as it has two pressure levels, an expiratory support pressure which distends the airways during expiration, and an elevated inspiratory pressure which provides direct ventilatory support.