Evaluation of the operational capabilities of a new extrathoracic negative pressure device for use in newborn infants.

We evaluated the operational capabilities of a new negative pressure incubator from Chelmsford, England prior to its use in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Successful manufacturer's testing had already been completed. Teams of respiratory therapists and a biomedical engineer evaluated two identical units using 22 criteria, and results were scored on a pass/fail basis.