Supplying Precious Breath

Dr. Austin Johnson is a physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine and a current scholar in the Mentored Clinical Research Training Program at the UC Davis Clinical and Translational Science Center (CTSC). In 2015, Johnson invented a device that will improve the ability of emergency personnel to properly ventilate pediatric patients (UC Case 2015-841).

Based on a need to deliver the correct volume of air at the required rate, his solution will be particularly helpful with neonatal and pediatric patients, who are much more sensitive to deviations from optimal ventilation rates and volumes than adults.

To help provide optimal ventilator support for pediatric patients, Johnson has developed a device that monitors various parameters, including ventilation rate and tidal volume, and provides audio and/or visual feedback to rescuers. The device is intended to be used by first responders as well as hospital staff. It also integrates with a widely used color coding system that allows rescuers to quickly derive optimal equipment sizes and drug dosages based upon a patient’s height.