Biphasic cuirass ventilators (BCVs) were developed from more cumbersome negative pressure ventilators. These devices somewhat went out of fashion between the 1960s and the early 1990s, when they again made an appearance and continue to show promise in many clinical settings. A typical BCV consists of a cuirass fitted to the anterior chest and upper abdominal wall, a flow generator, typically using a gas turbine to drive the gas, and a controller, allowing user input to employ multiple ventilatory modes. A graphic user interface allows monitoring of the function and alarms of the system.