North Shore University Hospital Device Helps Wean Patients off Ventilator Faster

Northwell Health is first on the East Coast to deploy Lungpacer’s AeroPace neurostimulation device to help patients breathe on their own faster after being placed on a mechanical ventilation

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A critically ill patient at Northwell’s North Shore University Hospital (NSUH) has been one of the first in the United States – and the first on the East Coast – to successfully be treated with an innovative therapy that helps wean those who need mechanical ventilation to breathe on their own faster.

Lungpacer’s FDA-approved AeroPace device uses neurostimulation, which harnesses the power of the brain and nervous system, to activate and strengthen the diaphragm muscle to control natural breathing. The result is a 43 percent faster recovery for patients placed on a ventilator for more than 96 hours, the Pennsylvania-based company said.

NSUH, a Level I trauma center and teaching hospital that treats more than 90,000 patients each year, often receives the region’s most complex cases because of its advanced life support capabilities. Eric Gottesman, MD, a critical care expert who serves as director of intensivist medicine at NSUH, spearheads the hospital’s AeroPace program. He remembers the challenge hospitals around the world faced when the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of patients struggling to breathe onto ventilators. Some never made it off.

“When you inhale, more than 90 percent of the work comes from the diaphragm,” said Dr. Gottesman. “The longer you are on a ventilator – the longer your recovery. Being on a ventilator for an extended period can lead to other medical complications. This innovative device can make an outsized impact on patient outcomes.”

Because the ventilator does the work of the diaphragm, the muscle can rapidly weaken due to inactivity. That’s the greatest test respiratory therapists face as they guide patients along a path to recovery that requires them to eventually breathe on their own.

Lungpacer’s AeroPace is a catheter device which uses electrodes placed in a subclavian artery or internal jugular vein to stimulate phrenic nerves, forcing the diaphragm to contract. This helps prevent diaphragm atrophy in patients who are on mechanical ventilation. Studies have shown the device can decrease time on mechanical ventilation by three days, Dr. Gottesman said.

“We’re excited to support our ICU leaders in applying the Lungpacer AeroPace device to patients under their care,” said David Hirschwerk, MD, chief medical officer at NSUH. “The goal is to reduce the length of time on the ventilator, which can diminish time in the hospital and improve overall outcomes, particularly for our most vulnerable patients.”

NSUH is home to the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital, the Katz Women’s Hospital, neurosurgery, multi-organ transplant services and one of the busiest emergency departments in the New York Metropolitan area. NSUH is a member of Northwell Health, which is the largest nonprofit health system in the Northeast with 28 hospitals and more than 1,000 outpatient facilities.

About Northwell Health

Northwell is the largest not-for-profit health system in the Northeast, serving residents of New York and Connecticut with 28 hospitals, more than 1,000 outpatient facilities, 22,000 nurses and over 20,000 physicians. Northwell cares for more than three million people annually in the New York metro area, including Long Island, the Hudson Valley, western Connecticut and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Northwell is New York State’s largest private employer with over 106,000 employees – including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners and Nuvance Health Medical Practices – who are working to change health care for the better. Northwell, named a TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2025, is making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Northwell is training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn.