The novel Mechanical Ventilator Milano for the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper presents the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM), a novel intensive therapy mechanical ventilator designed for rapid, large-scale, low-cost production for the COVID-19 pandemic. Free of moving mechanical parts and requiring only a source of compressed oxygen and medical air to operate, the MVM is designed to support the long-term invasive ventilation often required for COVID-19 patients and operates in pressure-regulated ventilation modes, which minimize the risk of furthering lung trauma. The MVM was extensively tested against ISO standards in the laboratory using a breathing simulator, with good agreement between input and measured breathing parameters and performing correctly in response to fault conditions and stability tests. The MVM has obtained Emergency Use Authorization by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in healthcare settings during the COVID-19 pandemic and Health Canada Medical Device Authorization for Importation or Sale, under Interim Order for Use in Relation to COVID-19. Following these certifications, mass production is ongoing and distribution is under way in several countries. The MVM was designed, tested, prepared for certification, and mass produced in the space of a few months by a unique collaboration of respiratory healthcare professionals and experimental physicists, working with industrial partners, and is an excellent ventilator candidate for this pandemic anywhere in the world.

The timing of antiparkinsonian treatment reduction after subthalamic nucleus stimulation.

The objective of this work was to precisely analyse the reduction of the antiparkinsonian treatment in 18 consecutive patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) operated on for bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation, first after 1 month of follow-up, then at 1 year postoperatively. Trihexyphenidyle, selegiline, entacapone, apomorphine and lisuride could be withdrawn shortly after starting STN electrical stimulation. The levodopa mean daily dose was reduced by 57% at 1 month after surgery and remained stable at 1 year. The mean ropinirole and bromocriptine daily dose decrements after surgery corresponded to 54 and 63%, respectively, at 1 month and to 77 and 40% at 1 year. At 12 months postoperatively, one third of the patients no longer received any antiparkinsonian drugs and the others were on monotherapy of either levodopa or dopamine agonists or received a combined treatment of a dopaminergic agonist and levodopa. In conclusion, STN stimulation allows a major reduction and simplification of antiparkinsonian treatment which can usually be achieved during the early postoperative period.