Penlon 300

WLMD ID: alux

The Neonatal-Pediatric Anesthesia Ventilator Series 300 (‘Penlon 300’ for short) is a mechanical ventilator introduced in 1984 by Penlon Ltd. It was, in essence, Penlon’s Nuffield 200 Ventilator (or, ‘Penlon 200’) paired with a valve that was designed by British anaesthesiologist Nicholas I. Newton and colleagues in 1981.

Mechanical ventilators help patients breathe. Before the 1980s, ventilators had to be modified in order to work safely with tiny infants and small children.  Dr. Newton’s modification involved a pressure relief valve. To the valve, he and his colleagues added a fixed leak and situated it directly across the patient’s expiratory pathway. The leak directed some of the inspiratory flow to a gas evacuation system while the remainder went to the patient. They intended the valve to be used with the Penlon 200 and a modified Ayre’s T-piece breathing circuit (or, Mapleson D system). Breathing circuits are the components that connect the patient's airway to the anesthesia machine and deliver oxygen and anesthetic gases to and away from the patient.

The new valve came to be known as the Newton Valve. Without it, the smallest tidal volume that the Penlon 200 could deliver was 50 ml. With the Newton valve, the ventilator could deliver tidal volumes as low as 10 ml. The valve also allowed for ventilation based on airway pressure rather than on the delivery of a preset volume. The Penlon 200-Newton Valve combination was a popular option, used worldwide, for about two decades.

Catalog Record: Penlon 300

Access Key: alux

Accession No.: 2010-07-20-2 D

Title: Neonatal-pediatric anesthesia ventilator series 300 / Penlon InterMed.

Corporate Author: Penlon InterMed.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Penlon neonatal ventilator.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Penlon series 300 neonatal pediatric anesthesia ventilator.

Title variation: Alt Title
Title: Penlon’s anesthesia ventilator series 300.

Publisher: United Kingdom : Penlon InterMed, [between 1984 and 1995?].

Physical Descript: 1 ventilator : metals, plastics, silicone ; 18 x 24 x 37.5 cm.
Subject: Ventilators, Mechanical.
Subject: Respiration, Artificial – instrumentation.
Subject: Ventilation, Mechanical.
Subject: Anesthesia, Pediatric – instrumentation.
Subject: Infant.
Subject: Child.

Note Type: General
Notes: The early year in the date range for the possible year of manufacture of this
ventilator is based on the year that Bear Medical Systems, Inc. applied for
an FDA 501(5) (Penlon USA was a division of Bear Medical Systems). The end
date is a rough estimate based on the difficulty with which this cataloger
had in finding references to the Penlon 300 in literature later than 1990.
Also, in an email (May 19, 2015) from Penlon publications manager, David Amos
Mr. Amos belived that Penlon stopped selling the 300 in the early 1990s.
This was an estimate based on reprints of the user manual. The date range
could change if documentation, or expert opinion, indicates that it should be
corrected.

Note Type: With
Notes: A “NEONATAL – PEDIATRIC ANESTHESIA VALVE [NEW LINE] SERIES 300” is attached
to this vaporizer. It is not included in the measurements or physical
description. The label on this valve is orange with black print and includes
a stamped serial number, “PV 22470”. The Penlon InterMed logo and “Made in
the UK” are also printed on the label.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: 510(k) premarket notification: K842363, Penlon anesthesia ventilator series
300. U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. https://www.accessdata.fda.
gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMN/pmn.cfm?ID=K842363. Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Adams AP, Henville JD. A new generation of anaethetic ventilators.
Anaesthesia. 1977;32(1):34-40. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.
1365-2044.1977.tb11555.x/pdf. Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Harrop-Griffiths W. Annual congress 2005: the cream of Manchester! Amaesth
News. 2005;(221):4. https://www.aagbi.org/sites/default/files/dec05.pdf.
Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Lockie J, Debeer D. Equipment and basic anaesthetic techniques. Hatch &
Sumner’s Textbook of Paediatric Anaesthesia. 3rd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC
Press; 2007:282-283.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Neonatal-Pediatric Anesthesia Ventilator Series 300 [markingting flyer].
Riverside, CA: Bear Medical Systems, Inc.; 1984.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: New products. Anesthesiol Rev. 1987;14(2):62.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Newton NI, Hillman KM, Varley JG. Automatic ventilation with the Ayre’s
T-piece. A modification of the Nuffield Series 200 ventilator for neonatal
and paediatric use. Anaesthesia. 1981;36(1):22-36. https://onlinelibrary.wiley
com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2044.1981.tb08595.x/abstract. Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Preliminary Instruction Manual : Penlon Anesthesia Ventilator Series 300,
Penlon Transport Ventilator Series 350. [Place of publication not indicated]:
Penlon; 1984:1-18.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Pask Certificate of Honour. The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain
& Ireland website. www.aagbi.org/about-us/awards/pask-certificate-honour.
Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Citation
Notes: Penlon ventilators [marketing booklet]. Abingdon, Oxon, England: Penlon Ltd.;
1980.

Note Type: Physical Description
Notes: One mechanical ventilator for neonates and children; The body of the
ventilator is rectangular; The ventilator alone measures approximately 16.5
cm in height; With the valve, which is intigral to this unit, in measures
approximately 37.5 cm in height; The front of the ventilator is painted a
light khaki green color; The sizes are painted brown; In the upper right
corner of the front of the ventilator is a pressure gauge with increments
between -20 and 100; In the lower left corner of the front of the ventilator
is a power turn knob; In the lower right corner is a pressure control turn
knob; On each side of the ventilator is a large black turn knob (inspiratory
control knob on left, and expiratory control knob on right); extending from
the bottom of the ventilator is a gas inlet, manometer connection, and
patient connection port; A clamp to attached the ventilator to a pole is
located on the back of the ventilator; Marked in the upper left corner of the
front of the ventilator is the text, “Penlon”; just below and to the left of
the word Penlon is the InterMed logo (a red square diamon with the text
“Inter [new line] Med” printed within the diamond; Also marked on the front
of the ventilator, on the left side (and just to the right of the inspiratory
control knob) is “Inspiratory Time [new line] Seconds”; Below this in the
left lower corner, “Off” and “On” positions are marked for the power switch;
Above the pressure control knob; “Pressure” is marked just before a graphic
respresentation of increasing and decreasing pressure; Above the
pressurecontrol knob, and just to the left of the exporatory control knob is
the text, “Expiratory Time Seconds”; The inspiratory control knob is numbered
at increments 0.2, .25, .5, 1.0, and 2.0; There is a line for what might be 1
5 but it is not numbered; The expiratory control knob is numbered at 0.5, 1.0
2.0, 3.0, and 4.0; There are lines at what might indicate 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5
but these lines are not numbered; On top of the ventilator is a large label
with a table for inspiratory and expiratory ratiios at different cycles per
minute (the rate-ratio conversion chart); On the back of the ventilator a
large black label is printed with white text; The text on the left side
includes, “BEFORE USE, READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. [new line] Drive
gas:- use Oxygen or Medical air only, at 36-100 P.S.I.G. Ensure air is oil
and water free. [new line] Calibration; this unit is calibrated at 50 P.S.I.G
With a free flow rate of 1.67 l/sec [new line] Refer to the instruction
manual for variation in performance due to different drive gas pressures.
[new line] Maintenance; undertake only routine checks as described in the
instruction manual. [new line] Do not adjust or lubricate”; Text printed on
the right side of the label includes, “Penlon”; Just below and to the left of
the word Penlon is the InterMed logo; Below this a service sticker of
“EASTERN ANESTHESIA, INC.” partially obstructs the view to the following text
“Manufactured in the [new line] United Kingdon, [new line] Patents Pending
[new line] Serial No. [new line] P.V. 1184-09 [new line, a line for the
tested by information is empty] Tested by [new line] Penlon (U.S.A.) A
Division of [new line] Bear Medical Systems, Inc. [new line] Riverside, CA.
92507″; The inspection date on the “EASTERN ANESTHESIA, INC.” sticker is “06.
17.91″.

Note Type: Reproduction
Notes: Photographed for the WLM by Mr. Steve Donisch, January 13, 2015.

Note Type: Historical
Notes: The Neonatal-Pediatric Anesthesia Ventilator Series 300 (‘Penlon 300’ for short) is a mechanical ventilator introduced in 1984 by Penlon Ltd. It was, in essence, Penlon’s Nuffield 200 Ventilator (or, ‘Penlon 200’) paired with a valve that was designed by British anaesthesiologist Nicholas I. Newton and colleagues in 1981.

Mechanical ventilators help patients breathe. Before the 1980s, ventilators had to be modified in order to work safely with tiny infants and small children. Dr. Newton’s modification involved a pressure relief valve. To the valve, he and his colleagues added a fixed leak and situated it directly across the patient’s expiratory pathway. The leak directed some of the inspiratory flow to a gas evacuation system while the remainder went to the patient. They intended the valve to be used with the Penlon 200 and a modified Ayre’s T-piece breathing circuit (or, Mapleson D system). Breathing circuits are the components that connect the patient’s airway to the anesthesia machine and deliver oxygen and anesthetic gases to and away from the patient.

The new valve came to be known as the Newton Valve. Without it, the smallest tidal volume that the Penlon 200 could deliver was 50 ml. With the Newton valve, the ventilator could deliver tidal volumes as low as 10 ml. The valve also allowed for ventilation based on airway pressure rather than on the delivery of a preset volume. The Penlon 200-Newton Valve combination was a popular option, used worldwide, for about two decades.

Note Type: Publication
Notes: Kacmarek RM. The mechanical ventilator: past, present, and future. Respir
Care. 2011;56(8):1173-1175. https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/8/1170.full.
Accessed May 4, 2015.

Note Type: Publication
Notes: Thanks to … . Difficult Airway Soc. May 2000;(3):[3]. https://www.das.uk.
com/files/newsletter/newslettermar00.pdf. Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Not Applicable
Notes: Walker CH. Neonatology–then and now. Assisted ventilation in the newborn
(1964). Arch Dis Child. 1989;64(4):629. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/pmc/articles/PMC1791995/. Accessed May 8, 2015.

Note Type: Exhibition
Notes: Selected for the WLM website (noted March 31, 2015).