This document applies to the basic safety and essential performance of ventilatory support equipment, as defined in 201.3.205, for ventilatory insufficiency, as defined in 201.3.204, hereafter also referred to as me equipment, in combination with its accessories:
— intended for use in the home healthcare environment;
— intended for use by a lay operator;
— intended for use with patients who have ventilatory insufficiency or failure, the most fragile of which would likely experience injury with the loss of this artificial ventilation;
— intended for transit-operable use;
— not intended for patients who are dependent on artificial ventilation for their immediate life support.
EXAMPLE 1 Patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), moderate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia or muscular dystrophy.
NOTE 1 In the home healthcare environment, the supply mains is often not reliable.
NOTE 2 Such ventilatory support equipment can also be used in non-critical care applications of professional health care facilities.
This document is also applicable to those accessories intended by their manufacturer to be connected to the ventilator breathing system of ventilatory support equipment for ventilatory insufficiency, where the characteristics of those accessories can affect the basic safety or essential performance of the ventilatory support equipment for ventilatory insufficiency.
EXAMPLE 2 Breathing sets, connectors, water traps, expiratory valve, humidifier, breathing system filter, external electrical power source, distributed alarm system.
If a clause or subclause is specifically intended to be applicable to me equipment only, or to me systems only, the title and content of that clause or subclause will say so. If that is not the case, the clause or subclause applies both to me equipment and to me systems, as relevant.
Hazards inherent in the intended physiological function of me equipment or me sy ...