I am looking for some information regarding the Aerogen nebulizer that is not sanctioned by the manufacturer :-)
It appears to be a great concept however a colleague has reported several failures on their freestanding units, namely "heat damage" to the mesh and also "piezo failure". Apparently the company is addressing these issues, but I would love to hear of your experiences.

Another dilemna facing me is availability of a decent MRI compatible ventilator. Short of replacing a Servo 900 blender (as per google search) or getting a rudimentary unit such as a Max02 or Omni Vent, I am at a loss. Local Versamed rep is getting back to me about his product but having looked at the I-vent website I think his response will be negative. We are presently using LTV1000. Any suggestions?

Thanking you in advance.

Iam having a lot of problems with aerogen neb failing. They are too expensive to replace.

A guy I used to work for sent me the following about iVent
"You should also check out the iVent from Versamed. ICU features (PC, VC, PSV) and function, transport capability, non-invasive ventilation with battery backup, and MRI compatible. Would handle patients who had higher FiO2 and flow requirements than the pNeuton/ParaPac."...

http://www.versamed.com/products.cfm

I've heard good things from other clinicians about both ParaPac and pNeuton. I've personally "played" with a pNeuton at some conferences and have been impressed. That unit operates off pneumatics, no electrical power or battery needed. http://www.pneuton.com/

I would consider if you have piped in O2 in the MRI vs. tanks, what your range of expectations for using an MRI vent in case of disaster would be. There seems to be a trade-off in that devices which use electricity use less gas, and vice versa.

If the electriciy is out but gas flow in abundance then the pNeutons and Vortrans will rule the disaster day. But if we're running off tanks, or having to ventilate mass casualties at an out of hospital disaster site (Sarin attack at a conference for instance) then hand bagging with self-inflating bags and Eagles will rule.

I would suggest the I-vent for the following reasons for the MRI or anywhere in the hospital. The parapac and pneuton are good units, but are very restricted in there flow ranges. (Ex. Pneuton only has a flow of 36 LPM and is only 1.5 telsa) Most MRI are now 3 Telsa, which the Parapac would work well there. For us we needed a unit we could use any time, any where for all of our patients. The Non-invasive mode is great with a leak compensation of 65 LPM which suprised me because the Vision compensates for 60LPM. For the money, the I vent has been great for us