Mechanical ventilation is the fundamental technique for life support in the intensive care setting. It is an indispensable tool for providing adequate gas exchange, re-establishing sufficient oxygen supply to peripheral organs, and for resting respiratory muscle in many disease states. The major progress in mechanical ventilation occurred during the poliomyelitis epidemic. However, the greatest impetus for technological advancement followed the description of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by Ashbaugh et al. in 1967 [1]. ARDS, the most severe form of acute lung injury (ALI), is a common disease with devastating clinical effects.