IMT designs the Future of Mechanical Ventilation

When a patient can no longer take in sufficient oxygen, mechanical ventilation becomes essential. Ventilators assist respiration by delivering oxygen-enriched gas into the lungs. The development of such devices is the focus of IMT, Information Management Technology AG, based in Buchs, Switzerland. Christian Büchel, CEO of IMT, and Harri Friberg, CEO of IMT Analytics and IMT Innovations AG, are showcasing their latest prototypes: a lung simulator and a mechanical ventilator known as “box”. Both technologies are designed to enable significant advancements in respiratory therapy.

Engineering a Realistic Lung Model

alveo, the news lung simulator, uses clinical data to emulate various pulmonary diseases and their effects on respiratory mechanics. This capability enables individualized and pathology-specific ventilation strategies. “A human lung is essentially a highly complex mathematical model,” explains Büchel. “Configuring a ventilator to match a specific disease profile is therefore a challenging task.” Traditional mechanical test lungs used in ventilator development offer only limited physiological realism, which restricts their usefulness in designing systems responsive to actual patient conditions. The new simulator closes this gap by emulating patient-specific responses in real time. “This represents an entirely new step toward personalized lung simulation,” says Büchel.

Patient-Centered Mechanical Ventilation

The simulator enables engineers and clinicians to test and refine ventilation parameters prior to clinical deployment. According to Friberg, the goal is to make ventilation more comfortable and reduce the need for sedation, which is often required to synchronize patients with machines. “To me, the lung simulator is a quantum leap,” he says. “It takes respiratory support to the next level.” The development of the simulator leveraged open-access datasets from regional universities. IMT applies artificial intelligence to analyze this data and extract precise pulmonary parameters, which are then integrated into the simulation engine. “It’s a bit like what Tesla does,” Friberg adds. “We collect large volumes of data to continuously improve the system.”

Step-by-Step Weaning with “Box”: AI-Powered Ventilator Adaptation

The “box” ventilator is another innovation aimed at improving long-term ventilation outcomes using AI-driven support algorithms. It’s specifically designed for patients who are ventilator-dependent and need to be weaned back to spontaneous breathing. “Once a patient is on a ventilator, the respiratory muscles begin to atrophy quickly,” Büchel notes. “It’s similar to a broken leg that hasn’t been used.” For long-term ventilated patients, immediate disconnection is often not feasible. The box system enables gradual reduction of ventilatory support, mimicking a tapered physical therapy model. “The device gradually withdraws support—delivering slightly less air over time,” says Büchel. Integrated monitoring continuously assesses key parameters such as oxygen saturation, allowing for dynamic adjustment: “If needed, the system automatically increases support again.”

Proven Experience in Long-Term Ventilation

IMT has prior experience in the field of long-term ventilator development. Several years ago, the company introduced the “bellavista” ventilator, which also provided semi-autonomous breathing assistance and significantly reduced the burden on clinical staff. Originally developed for long-term care centers, bellavista has since been adopted by intensive care units—including facilities in Switzerland. Büchel and Friberg are optimistic that these new innovations—box and the lung simulator alveo will further improve patient outcomes and optimize ventilator management protocols across various healthcare settings.