Ventilator - Wikipedia A ventilator is a type of breathing apparatus, a class of medical technology that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently
What Is a Mechanical Ventilator? (2025) A ventilator, sometimes called a “breathing machine” or “respirator,” is a medical device that supports or entirely takes over a person’s breathing It does this by pushing a carefully measured mix of air and oxygen into the lungs and then allowing the used air to flow back out
How a ventilator works. And why you don’t want to need one. Ventilators, often referred to as life support machines, are used in intensive care units for patients who cannot breathe on their own Many of the sickest patients with COVID-19 need the assistance of a ventilator to survive Throughout the course of the pandemic, about half of the patients in UAB’s COVID-19 ICU have been on a ventilator