NAVA – a unique feature in Getinge ventilators

Using the patient’s own respiratory drive to control the assistance of Servo ventilators, Getinge’s patented Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist (NAVA) has elevated mechanical ventilation to an entirely new level.

During normal respiration, a spontaneous breath begins with an impulse generated by the respiratory centers in the brain. This impulse is then transmitted via phrenic nerves and electrically activates the diaphragm, leading to a muscle contraction.

The diaphragm contracts into the abdominal cavity, which leads to a descending movement, creating a negative alveolar pressure and an inflow of air.

The signal that excites the diaphragm is proportional to the integrated output of the respiratory center in the brain and controls the depth and cycling of the breath.

Based on the patient’s brain activity

NAVA, which has been used exclusively by Getinge since it was invented in the mid-1990s and commercially released in 2007, is based on these activities in the patient’s brain. By using the same electrical signal that activates the human diaphragm, the ventilator continuously becomes fully synchronized with the patient´s own breathing efforts.

The NAVA mode is available for Getinge’s Servo-u, Servo-n and Servo-i ventilators. Independent of air leakages, it facilitates non-invasive ventilation with face masks, nasal masks or prongs. A much more comfortable alternative than intubating the patient.

Captured by the Edi catheter

The electrical discharge of the diaphragm is captured by a special Edi catheter; placed in the esophagus and also functions as a gastric feeding tube. Edi helps the clinical team detect diaphragm activity early and NAVA provides diaphragm exercise a personalized level, which will benefit successful ventilator weaning. 

Since it is the patient’s own physiological signal that control the tidal volume and respiratory pattern, NAVA promotes lung-protective spontaneous breathing and reduces the risk of blowing to much or too little air into the lungs. NAVA simply delivers what the patient wants.

Useful for premature to elderly patients

NAVA is able to help all types of patients breathe; from tiny premature babies weighing a few hundred grams up to frail older patients.

NAVA has been a gamechanger for the treatment of premature babies. Its ability to use the baby’s own respiratory drive to synchronize the ventilator with rapid breaths of only 2-3 milliliters of air, played a major role in helping a baby in Japan, weighing only 258 grams at birth, survive.

Learn more about how a ventilator works >>

This text is intended to provide information to an international audience outside of the US.