Abstract
Mechanically ventilated premature infants present with fluctuations in ventilation that cannot be addressed by conventional mechanical ventilation with fixed positive pressure and constant frequency. A hybrid algorithm for automatic targeting of minute ventilation and tidal volume by individual or combined closed loop control of the ventilator frequency and peak inspiratory pressure was developed. The objective of this system is to minimize the mechanical support and adapt to changes in ventilatory need. Under the most challenging conditions, the combined controller is more efficient than individual control.