Here you will find a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) relating to NIPPY Ventilators, including the NIPPY Clearway, NIPPY 3+, NIPPY Junior+, NIPPY S+ and NIPPY ST+. If you’re looking for a product download, please click here.
Wipe the exterior with a hard surface disinfectant wipe.
A safety and calibration check should be carried out annually. After 10000 run hours a complete service is required.
The back air filter should be checked monthly and changed when it becomes grey. These should not be washed.
HIGH FLOW – Requires immediate response and is signalled by a red flashing bell and is a continuous beep. This can indicate disconnection, a circuit leak or high lung volumes leading to high flows.
LOW FLOW – Requires immediate response and is signalled by a red flashing bell and is a continuous beep. This may indicate an airway blockage, circuit occlusions or additional flows into the circuit such as oxygen.
DISCONNECT – Requires immediate response and is signalled by a bell flashing and a continuous beep. This alarm activates when the ventilator senses the patient is disconnected.
APNOEA – If set, this alarm indicates cessation of spontaneous breathing. It may also alarm due to the patient becoming disconnected from the machine or a blockage in the tracheostomy tube due to secretions.
MAINS FAIL ALARM – IIf the breathing circuit becomes disconnected the alarm will be activated after 10 seconds.
HIGH BREATH RATE – If the high breath rate alarm has been set the NIPPY will alarm if the patient’s breathing rate is higher than that set.
RUNNING ON BATTERY – A warning alarm that alerts the practitioner/carer that the ventilator is running from the battery and not from mains power.
When the battery is almost depleted the battery icon will flash and change colour to red.
When the battery is depleted an alarm will sound, accompanied by an on-screen message, “Battery Power Running Low”
When battery power reaches a critical level, the alarm will change to a continuous tone and the on-screen message will change to “Battery Power Exhausted. About to switch off. Connect to Mains Power Now”
After auto power off, the constant alarm will continue until the Mute is pressed.
NIPPY S+, ST+, 3+ and Junior+ may be powered from the mains, external battery or internal battery.
When running on mains, the ventilator will recharge its own internal and/or external battery. Charge time is normally around 8 hours, per battery, depending on the ventilator settings.
Yes, batteries will also be charged when the NIPPY is connected to the mains supply but not running. Leave connected to the mains supply in between periods of use to keep the batteries charged or to recharge ready for the next use.
When an external battery is connected to a machine, which has an internal battery, each battery is charged to approximately 90%, starting with the internal one. When the battery(s) are charged, the charge will terminate and the battery will be monitored to maintain its charge.
The ventilator will select its power source, according to the power available, in the following sequence:-
In order to save battery power, the ventilator will always run on mains electricity if it is present.
If the mains fails or is not connected, the ventilator will select the external battery as the next choice. The external battery, if present, will always be run flat before the internal battery is selected.
If there is no external battery, the ventilator will switch to its internal battery.
If there is no internal battery the ventilator will shut down and alarm.
Battery run times are dependent on the ventilator settings and the amount of leak. High pressures and /or high breath rates use power and therefore shorten run times. Large leaks use power and shorten run times.
The expected run time can be displayed on screen. Double press the SET button to display a bar graph of run time. The time for each battery connected will be calculated, according to the ventilator settings, and shown on the screen.
The run time may be as long as 12 hours for low values of CPAP with only moderate leak or as short as 4 hours for Pressure Support at maximum pressure with quite severe leaks. Battery run times will typically be 20% more in IPPV mode because of the absence of the exhale port leak.
Run times will be shortened by higher breath rates and/or higher EPAP levels. Typical Running Times with EPAP set to minimum @ 20BPM.
IPAP |
Run Time (Hours) |
Min Run Time (Hours) |
15 |
11 |
8.25 |
20 |
9.5 |
7.25 |
25 |
8.5 |
6.25 |
30 |
6.5 |
5 |
35 |
5.5 |
4 |
38 |
5 |
3.75 |
Testing your battery regularly (once a month at least) is good practice but should also be carried out if the battery if the running time seems low, a fault is suspected, or to confirm that the battery is in good working order.
The end of life is defined by the maximum running time falling to 75% of that of a new battery. For a battery that is used occasionally service life is 2 years.
Replace the battery when running times drop below those indicated or after 2 years.
The internal battery should be replaced every 2 to 3 years or after 10000 hours use. It should also be replaced if the run times are shorter than expected.
The user cannot replace the battery. Please refer your ventilator to a suitably qualified technical personnel for battery replacement.
No, please DO NOT attempt to fit any battery other than the approved type. Fitting of any other type of battery could lead to personal injury and damage to the ventilator.
All models in the NIPPY 3+ range are equipped with a universal input power supply. This means that you can travel anywhere in the world and plug into the local electrical supply, provided you use the correct mains lead or an adaptor.
The voltage must be between 100 and 240 volts ac. Please check before travelling. Some countries have very unreliable supplies. You should consider this before travelling.
The transport of lithium-ion is regulated by various bodies (IATA, IMO, ADR, US-DOT) that follow the United Nations “Recommendations for the transport of dangerous goods.”
Certain restrictions apply to the carriage of lithium-ion batteries even when carried by passengers as baggage. Only batteries that have successfully passed the tests outlined in Part III, subsection 38.3 of the UN Manual of test and criteria may be carried on board an aircraft.
These restrictions are set out in the 2009/2010 Edition of the ICAO Technical Instruction for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air and the 50th Edition (2009) of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR)
Subsection 2.3.3.2 of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Regulations States:
“Lithium-ion batteries exceeding a watt-hour rating of 100Wh but not exceeding 160Wh may be carried as spare batteries in carry-on baggage, or in equipment in either checked or carry-on baggage. No more than two individually protected spare batteries per person may be carried.”
The batteries used for the NIPPY have passed the UN tests and they are rated at 116 Watt hours, so they are permitted with the above restriction.
If you are travelling by air, it is best to tell the airline that you are travelling with a ventilator and batteries at the time of booking the flight. This gives them plenty of time to gather information about your equipment. They will not allow this type of equipment on board unless they are satisfied that it is completely safe.
There are no safety issues regarding air travel with these ventilators, but the airline need to be able to show that they checked.Your airline may want to know about the type of batteries you plan to take on board.
Your airline may want to know about the type of batteries you plan to take on board.
Copies of the manufacturer’s safety data sheet are available to the airline from B&D Electromedical.
We would advise strongly that you always carry your NIPPY onto a plane as cabin baggage even if you will not be using the ventilator during the flight.
The NIPPY 3+, Junior+, ST+ and S+ comply with RTCA/DO-160, Section 21, conducted emissions 150kHz – 152MHz and radiated emissions 100Mhz – 6GHz to category M limits and are therefore considered to be FAA compliant.
For information about travelling with your NIPPY Ventilator please visit the Downloads Centre.
The device should be cleaned between patients and each patient should have a single-use circuit and filter; settings should be checked prior to commencement of treatment. A high-efficiency bacterial filter should be placed between the patient circuit and device. If you are treating a patient with suspected H1N1, a filter should be placed at the device end and also at the distal end of the circuit before the interface to double filter and protect the device.
The device should not be taken from dirty to clean areas as defined by local infection control policy.
The NIPPY Clearway is an extremely effective and accurate device. Digital settings ensure accurate titration and setting of pressures. The device also measures and monitors pressure at the patient end via the external pressure line.
MI–E can be used as many times during a 24-hour period as required to clear your patient’s secretions. However it is important to remember that prolonged coughing does induce fatigue, so ensure that you allow adequate rest periods.
Using MI–E does not necessarily negate the need for suctioning to clear secretions, especially when initially using the technique, due to the success of the therapy. Suction equipment must always be available when treating patients with MI-E.
If it is considered that there is an area of collapse and/or consolidation on chest x-ray, combined with a patient who has an ineffective cough, MI-E can be indicated.
Patients who have a device at home can use it daily to ensure that there are no secretions present. Additionally, the NIPPY Clearway can be used to provide a stretch to the chest wall and used as a method of IPPB.
It may be advisable within the community to have a programmed mode to enable use by only one carer. The settings can be titrated and set and then locked before discharging the patient, ensuring safe and accurate treatment within the community setting. There are competency documents available for carers and clinicians.
The patient and carers should be trained as per the competency guidelines. The patient should always have a written or photocopied document of their settings. The patient or carer can then check the settings against the record. You may want to give the patient some indication of the changes in settings that may be required for when they are unwell.
Manufacturers’ recommendations are that tubing can be used for up to 7 days.
However, in the community setting, for single-patient use, local infection control policies may be adopted.
The NIPPY Clearway is designed to be used with a pressure line to ensure that accurate pressure measurements are delivered to your patient, which enhances performance. Not using a pressure line would cause the performance and accuracy to be reduced.
Yes, but the resistance of the filter should be checked to ensure that the device and the patient are protected and that the performance is not affected. Filters should be within resistance levels of 0.4 mbar at 30LPM and 0.7 mbar at 60LPM.
Yes. The NIPPY Clearway has been designed to be used with low pressure oxygen; it is possible to entrain up to 15 l/min of oxygen into the device. We recommend that this is done distally, at the patient end of the circuit.
Yes, it is possible to entrain nebulisers into the circuit for patients using the NIPPY Clearway. We recommend you entrain the nebuliser at the patient end after the AB filter, to ensure that the machine is protected from water or drug particles.
For use of the NIPPY Clearway away from mains supply, you can use an external lithium-ion battery, providing up to one hour’s use, or an in-car inverter.
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