ISO 19223-3

International
Standard
First edition
Lung ventilators and related
equipment — Vocabulary and
semantics —
Part 3:
Respiratory care
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Reference number
© ISO 2025
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Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General terms .1
3.2 Respiratory high-flow therapy equipment terminology .3
3.3 Sleep apnoea breathing therapy equipment terminology .3
3.4 Respiratory therapy masks and accessories terminology .8
3.5 Neonatal respiratory therapy equipment terminology .10
Bibliography .12
Index . 14
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iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 121, Anaesthetic and respiratory equipment,
Subcommittee SC 4, Vocabulary and semantics.
A list of all parts in the ISO 19223 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
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iv
Introduction
After publication of ISO 19223:2019 and ISO 4135:2022 (5th ed.), it was recognized that these new standards
did not adequately address vocabulary and semantics for high-frequency and jet lung ventilation and some
aspects of respiratory therapy equipment. Therefore, specialized vocabularies have been developed as
additional parts of the ISO 19223 series. The second edition of ISO 19223 is intended to be subsequently
published as ISO 19223-1. A standard for high-frequency and jet ventilation terminology has been published
as ISO 19223-2:2025. This document addresses terminology for high-flow respiratory therapy, sleep apnoea
breathing therapy, as well as other aspects of respiratory care.
Included with many of the terms are notes to entry that provide supplementary information, including
explanations of the semantics of the term along with their classification schemes.
Some of the terms in this document are principally intended for technical documents, informatics and
related applications, and might have little applicability to ventilator labelling and instructions for use.
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International Standard ISO 19223-3:2025(en)
Lung ventilators and related equipment — Vocabulary and
semantics —
Part 3:
Respiratory care
1 Scope
This document defines terms for respiratory care.
This document is applicable:
— in respiratory high-flow therapy equipment standards;
— in sleep apnoea breathing therapy equipment standards;
— in sleep apnoea therapy masks and accessories standards;
— in ventilatory support equipment standards;
— in health informatics standards;
— for labelling on medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems;
— in medical electrical equipment and medical electrical system instructions for use and accompanying
documents;
— for medical electrical equipment and medical electrical systems interoperability;
— in electronic health records.
This document excludes mechanical ventilation (defined in ISO 19223:2019), high-frequency and
jet ventilation (defined in ISO 19223-2:2025), negative pressure ventilation, liquid ventilation, and
extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 General terms
3.1.1
co-therapy
inhalational therapy using a short-acting bronchodilator medication as needed, ancillary to, or in
combination with a long-acting bronchodilator drug
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3.1.2
home healthcare environment
dwelling place in which a patient lives, or other places where patients are present, where respiratory care is
typically provided by lay users (3.1.3), excluding the professional healthcare environment, acute healthcare
facilities and the emergency medical services (EMS) environment
Note 1 to entry: Nursing homes are considered home healthcare environments.
Note 2 to entry: In some jurisdictions, nursing homes are considered professional healthcare facilities.
Note 3 to entry: The distinction between home healthcare and professional healthcare environments for the purposes
of this document is whether the use of respiratory care equipment is the responsibility of lay users.
Note 4 to entry: Other places where a patient is present include outdoor environments, private or commercial vehicles
or buildings.
3.1.3
lay user
person who operates sleep apnoea breathing therapy equipment (3.3.25) or other device(s) who does not have
relevant professional qualifications or specialized training
Note 1 to entry: This may be the person or patient the equipment is intended to support, a family member, friend or
care-giver, or a professional or other staff member of a facility that assists with operation of the medical equipment but
who does not have specific professional qualifications to operate the equipment.
Note 2 to entry: A lay user may have some general (i.e. not specialized) training in the use of this equipment.
3.1.4
oxygen inlet connector
oxygen-specific connector on an inlet, through which oxygen is pushed by an elevated upstream pressure
3.1.5
oxygen therapy connector
conical connector with a fixed connection to an oxygen supply at the larger opening that delivers oxygen to
oxygen tubing at the smaller opening of the cone
Note 1 to entry: The cone complies with ISO 17256:2024.
Note 2 to entry: The flow of oxygen is toward the narrow opening of the cone.
3.1.6
oxygen tubing interconnector
device with a probe at each end for connecting two lengths of oxygen tubing with elastomeric funnel
connectors at each end, which enables secure connection and disconnection by the user
Note 1 to entry: This device will become obsolete with anticipated changes to oxygen tubing standards.
3.1.7
respiratory therapy data
electronic information generated by the respiratory therapy medical electrical equipment stored locally or
remotely
Note 1 to entry: information may contain monitored patient data or MEE function.
3.1.8
respiratory therapy helmet
device that encloses the head for the purpose of providing oxygen and augmentation of breathing.
Note 1 to entry: the helmet incorporates inlet and outlet connectors and may include pressure-relief and anti-
asphyxia valves.
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3.1.9
respiratory therapy oxygen adapter
deprecated: fir tree adapter
device that incorporates an oxygen-specific threaded connector from a source of supply at one end and a
probe at the other end to connect to oxygen tubing used in respiratory therapy
Note 1 to entry: The probe and DISS comply with ISO 17256:2024.
3.1.10
ventilatory support
augmentation of ventilation which may be provided for a patient who is not ventilator dependent
3.2 Respiratory high-flow therapy equipment terminology
3.2.1
asymmetric high-flow nasal therapy
mode of respiratory therapy that provides a continuous flow of heated and humidified gas that exceeds
the patient's inspiratory flow to a spontaneously breathing patient, using asymmetric high-flow nasal therapy
cannula (3.2.2)
3.2.2
asymmetric high-flow nasal therapy cannula
nasal cannula used with respiratory high-flow nasal therapy in which the dimensions of one nasal prong are
larger than the other, with the purpose of improving carbon dioxide removal from airway dead space
3.2.3
respiratory high-flow nasal cannula
nasal cannula used with respiratory high-flow nasal therapy where the nasal prongs have the same
dimensions
3.2.4
respiratory high-flow therapy
mode of respiratory therapy that provides a continuous flow of heated and humidified gas that exceeds
the patient's inspiratory flow to a spontaneously breathing patient
3.2.5
respiratory high-flow therapy equipment
medical electrical equipment or medical electrical system intended to provide a continuous flow of heated and
humidified gas that exceeds the patient’s inspiratory flow to a spontaneously breathing patient
Note 1 to entry: Respiratory high-flow therapy equipment is intended for a spontaneously breathing patient who would
benefit from improved alveolar gas exchange and would benefit from receiving high-flow humidified respiratory
gases, including a patient whose upper airway is bypassed.
Note 2 to entry: Respiratory high-flow therapy equipment is intended to provide a sufficiently high flow to minimize the
patient’s entrainment of room air.
Note 3 to entry: Respiratory high-flow therapy equipment typically connects to a patient with a non-sealing high-flow
nasal cannula, a tracheostomy or face mask or helmet with large exhaust ports.
3.3 Sleep apnoea breathing therapy equipment terminology
3.3.1
air intake filter
filter to prevent coarse contaminants from room air entering sleep apnoea therapy equipment
Note 1 to entry: These may be of different shapes, sizes and materials and may be cleanable by the user.
Note 2 to entry: These filters are to be distinguished from breathing system filters.
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3.3.2
airway pressure accuracy
degree of correspondence between the pressure
...