Table 1

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) product archetype comparison

Features	Low-cost, unbundled CPAP devices		Medium cost, bundled CPAP	High cost, bundled CPAP
Features	Improvised/home-made CPAP	Improvised CPAP with enhanced components	Medium cost, bundled CPAP	High cost, bundled CPAP
Intended use	Initial treatment of newborns with respiratory distress
CPAP generator	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Air flow	Requires external air flow source	Requires external air flow source	Generates own air flow source	Requires external air flow source
Oxygen source	Requires external oxygen and/or air source	Requires external oxygen and/or air source	Requires external oxygen source, but has integrated air source	Requires external oxygen and/or air source
Oxygen blender	No	Yes, but not all	Yes, some may measure FiO₂	Yes, can measure FiO₂
Oxygen saturation/FiO₂ measurement	Requires pulse oximetry to monitor saturation but no FiO₂ regulation available	Requires pulse oximetry to monitor saturation and regulate FiO₂ level	May require pulse oximetry to monitor saturation Some devices allow FiO₂ to be set directly without manual calculations by user *One device is known to have an integrated pulse oximeter	Requires pulse oximetry to monitor saturation, FiO₂ may be set directly without manual calculations by user *One device is known to have an integrated pulse oximeter
Humidification	Relies on ambient humidity	Relies on ambient humidity; passive humidification	May rely on ambient or have passive or active heated humidification	Heated humidification system
Patient interface	Any nasal prongs	Any nasal prongs	May use custom-made or standard Hudson prongs	May use custom-made or standard Hudson prongs
Tubing or circuit limbs	Standard wide bore tubing, inspiratory and expiratory circuit	Standard wide bore tubing, inspiratory and expiratory circuit	May use custom-made or Standard wide bore tubing, inspiratory and expiratory circuit *One device is known to have controlled heated inspiratory circuit	Insulated tubing and heated breathing circuit
Internal performance monitoring	No internal performance monitoring system: bubbling of water in CPAP generator chamber may be used as an indicator	No internal performance monitoring system: bubbling of water in CPAP generator chamber may be used as an indicator	May include audio/visual alarm notification system	May include audio/visual alarm notification system
Power and battery	Does not require electricity except used with oxygen concentrator	Does not require electricity except used with oxygen concentrator	Requires electricity, may include backup battery,	Requires electricity
Cost	US$1–4. Does not include cost of O₂ concentrator and other consumables	US$100–200. Does not include cost of O₂ concentrator	US$1000–2000. May or may not include cost of consumables	US$3000–6000
Regulatory approval	N/A	CE mark possible	CE mark	CE mark
Product Examples		(i)VAYU CPAP (ii)PATH (KIWOKO) CPAP	Pumani (NEST) CPAP Equalise Health (D-REV) nCPAP Polite CPAP	Fisher-Paykel bubble CPAP Dolphin MTTS

*This was not intended as an exhaustive list of examples of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) products. The authors do not endorse or critique any of the listed products but only highlight them for illustrative purposes.