The control panel, or user interface, is located on the surface of the ventilator and is monitored and set by the ventilator operator. The internal control system reads and uses the operator's settings to control the function of the drive mechanism. The control panel has various knobs or touch pads for setting such components as tidal volume, rate, inspiratory time, alarms, and FiO2. These controls ultimately regulate four ventilatory variables: flow, volume, pressure, and time. The value for each of these can vary within a wide range, and the manufacturer provides a list of the potential ranges for each variable.

 

For example tidal volume may range from 200 to 2000 mL on an adult ventilator. The operator also can set alarms to respond to changes in a variety of monitored variables particularly high and low pressure and low volume.