Diaphragm Pacing Explained
A diaphragm pacer and a ventilator can both support breathing, but they accomplish it through fundamentally different physiological mechanisms. A ventilator typically delivers air into the lungs using positive pressure. A diaphragm pacer activates the body's own diaphragm, creating negative pressure inside the chest that draws air into the lungs. That distinction affects more than the movement of air. It can influence how the lungs expand, which muscles are being used, how blood moves through the chest, and how oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. And there's another important distinction: moving air, exchanging gases, and maintaining healthy blood chemistry are related, but they are not the same thing. 1. How the NeuRx diaphragm pacer works The NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System is designed to electrically activate the diaphragm when the brain's normal respiratory signals cannot reliably reach it, provided the diaphragm muscle and its motor nerves can still respond. N...