9650-002360-01 Rev. A
ZOLL Z Vent Ventilator Operator’s Guide
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Chapter 6
Operating Environments
This chapter describes how to operate the ZOLL Z Vent ventilator outside of a hospital
environment. The types of environments that we describe are:
•
Harsh environments – prehospital and transport
•
Hazardous environments – in the presence of chemical and/or biological toxins
•
MRI environments – during MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) treatment
Using the Ventilator in Harsh Environments
The ventilator is designed to operate in harsh prehospital environments and during air and
ground transport. In order to safely manage the patient, you must understand the operating
characteristics of the ventilator and diligently monitor the patient and device in these
environments. The device continuously monitors environmental conditions (temperature and
ambient pressure) and when it detects extreme environments, the device alerts you with a Low
Priority alarm which defines the operating condition and prompts your actions. Low Priority
alarms are advisory and you should remember that the device is operating as designed.
Airborne Particulates
Under normal operating conditions, the internal 2-stage filtration system protects the gas flow
path from particulates entrained through the Fresh Gas/Emergency Air Intake. However, when
operating in areas where fine dust or dirt is airborne due to wind or vehicle movement, you
should use a disposable bacterial/viral filter to preserve the internal filter. Using disposable
filters prevents you from having to change the ventilator’s internal filters and provides
additional protection to the internal gas path component. Visually inspect the filter for dust/dirt
build up for extended operation in harsh environments, you should change the filter as it
becomes dirty.
