Rosenstiel – Pesty – Richard – a ventilator with adjustable pausing. RPR – the acronym that ventilated France for more than 30 years.
In 1956 Raymond Pesty took up an invention by Rosenstiel and produced the RPR ventilator, with advice from Professor Maurice Cara. The device was manufactured by the Richard company. The first two models appeared in 1956 and 1957.
1962 saw the appearance of the definitive version – the RPR 3.
The RPR was a pneumatic, volume preset device driven by compressed oxygen, nitrous oxide or air.
The simple idea of being volume - preset reveals the complexity of the device. The frequency and inspiration/expiration ratio depended on the fresh gas flow, the set tidal volume and airway resistance.
The control was set by an abacus – like device. Monitoring of function was only by a manometer and a spirometer.
Clinical observation was always therefore essential, particularly during the transport of ventilator - dependent patients and during anaesthesia.
The RPR was much – used in paediatric resuscitation as a paediatric version – the RPRN. The anaesthetic version had a vaporiser in the circuit.
The RPR was widely – used in operating theatres throughout France up to the beginning of the 1990s.
Later, it was still used in veterinary practice.