Optimized delivered oxygen concentration of a novel pediatric oxygen mask: a bench simulation study

BACKGROUND: Children have unique respiratory physiology, including low tidal volume, high respiratory rate, and low functional residual capacity, which often leads to dilution of inspired oxygen when using conventional oxygen masks. The SentriO Oxy™ mask is designed to provide a consistent, high oxygen concentration even at relatively low flow rates. This study evaluated its performance under simulated pediatric breathing conditions. METHODS: A pediatric breathing simulator was used to test three respiratory rates [20, 30, 40 breaths per min (BPM)] and two tidal volumes (75 and 150 mL) at oxygen flow rates of 5 and 10 L/min, using either 600-mL or 1000-mL reservoirs. Oxygen concentration was continuously measured with a calibrated FlowAnalyser™. Five repeated trials were performed for each condition, and the maximum oxygen concentration was used for analysis. RESULTS: With a 600-mL reservoir at 5 L/min, oxygen concentration decreased with higher respiratory rates. The 1000-mL reservoir delivered higher and more stable oxygen levels, particularly at 20 and 30 BPM. Increasing flow to 10 L/min improved oxygen delivery across reservoir sizes. The SentriO Oxy™ maintained ~ 80% oxygen concentration across most simulated pediatric breathing conditions. CONCLUSIONS: In this bench simulation study, the SentriO Oxy™ provided high, stable oxygen concentrations across different pediatric breathing patterns, supporting its potential clinical usefulness in both acute and long-term pediatric oxygen therapy.