Ventilator and Respiratory Device Blower Cooling Solutions -- DC Fans | Herays
Application Solution

Ventilator and Respiratory Device Blower

Compact directed airflow for respiratory and medical equipment engineering

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Problem Space

Industry Challenges

Understanding the specific thermal and environmental demands of Ventilator and Respiratory Device Blower environments is the foundation of every Herays solution.

Medical ventilators and respiratory therapy devices — including ICU ventilators, home CPAP/BiPAP machines, high-flow nasal cannula systems, and portable emergency resuscitators — depend on precisely controlled blower performance to deliver safe and effective respiratory support. The blower sets the pressure accuracy, noise floor, response time, and reliability of the device. Fan selection for respiratory applications involves tradeoffs that do not arise in any other airflow context.

What makes respiratory blower selection fundamentally different from electronics cooling:

  • Centrifugal (blower) topology required, not axial — respiratory devices require high static pressure at variable flow. Axial fans are generally unsuitable because their pressure-flow curves collapse at the back-pressures typical in respiratory circuits (5–30 cmH₂O).
  • PWM speed control with tachometer feedback — respiratory device firmware regulates blower speed in real time to hit target pressure and flow waveforms. 4-wire PWM control with tachometer feedback is standard.
  • Brushless DC motor (BLDC) — brushed motors are disqualified by wear debris and limited life. All medical respiratory applications use BLDC blowers exclusively.
  • Low acoustic noise — home CPAP users sleep within arm’s reach of the device. Sound pressure levels below 30 dBA at maximum continuous pressure are the target for home-use devices.
  • Medical-grade material certification — components in the airflow path require biocompatible materials per ISO 10993 or equivalent, including the blower housing and impeller.
  • Regulatory compliance documentation — the blower must support the device manufacturer’s FDA 510(k), CE MDR, or equivalent submission. Herays provides documentation packages and traceability records to support device-level submissions.

Herays supplies centrifugal BLDC blower modules used in CPAP, BiPAP, and ventilator designs. These are 12V and 24V BLDC centrifugal blowers with PWM speed control and 3-wire tachometer output, designed for closed-loop pressure regulation in respiratory therapy devices.

Typical evaluation specifications:

  • Voltage: 12V or 24V DC BLDC
  • Control: PWM (25 kHz compatible) with analog or digital speed command
  • Feedback: 3-wire tachometer (2 pulses/revolution)
  • Pressure range: 0–30 cmH₂O continuous, peak 50 cmH₂O
  • Noise: below 35 dBA at 10 cmH₂O delivery pressure (typical)
  • MTBF: above 20,000 hours at rated conditions

Specific models vary by the pressure-flow requirements of your device platform. Contact Herays with your target pressure-flow curve and we will identify the appropriate blower and provide engineering samples for evaluation.

Can an axial fan be used in a ventilator if it generates enough pressure? No. Even if an axial fan achieves the target static pressure at zero flow (stall pressure), its pressure-flow curve drops sharply as flow increases, making stable control across the patient’s tidal volume range impossible. Centrifugal blowers are the correct topology for any application requiring controlled pressure across a variable flow range.

How is a CPAP blower different from a BiPAP blower? CPAP delivers a single fixed pressure during both inhalation and exhalation. BiPAP delivers different inspiratory (IPAP) and expiratory (EPAP) pressures and must respond to patient-triggered breath transitions in under 100 ms, requiring more responsive PWM controller bandwidth. Both use the same blower hardware; the difference is in the control algorithm.

What documentation is available to support a 510(k) or CE MDR submission? Herays can provide component test reports, material safety data, dimensional drawings, FMEA documentation, and design history file (DHF) support documents for blowers supplied to medical device OEMs.

Herays works directly with respiratory device OEMs and their engineering teams from prototype through production. Contact us to discuss your ventilator or respiratory therapy blower requirements.

Herays Approach

Our Solution

Precision-engineered DC fan technologies tailored to the performance and reliability requirements of Ventilator and Respiratory Device Blower applications.

Why Herays

Key Features for Ventilator and Respiratory Device Blower

Pressure-capable airflow

Blower options for compact ducts, filters, and controlled air paths.

Compact integration

Small blower formats for constrained device layouts.

Engineering support

Selection support for voltage, pressure, flow, noise, and control requirements.

Application Engineering

Ready to find the right cooling solution for Ventilator and Respiratory Device Blower?

Our application engineers are available to help you select the right product for your system requirements.

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