Ventilators | 3D-printers | FDA | Medical Research | Researchers | COVID-19

Engineers have developed a low cost fully functional ventilators. What is the advantage of this one? This one has adapters that allow 4 to 9 patients to benefit from a single ventilator. This can overcome the shortage of ventilators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The cost of one ventilator could be less than $300, compared to big ventilators that cost much as $30,000.

When lungs of COVID-19 patients are damaged by a virus, they experience shortness of breath and require ventilators to continue breathing. Researchers from MIT developed an emergency ventilator called E-Vent. The design is an upgraded version of the bag-valve resuscitator. These are operated by hand to help patients with breathing difficulties during emergencies. Until an intervention such as a ventilator becomes available. The researchers devised a mechanical system to squeeze and release the Ambu bag.

A similar system was developed by researchers at Rice University and Metric Technologies. Their prototype was built primarily of 3D-printed and laser-cut parts. Their prototype allows adjusting the rate of air delivery to the lungs of COVID-19 patients.

Another low-cost version called VentilatorPAL was developed by a Dutch company. It comes with a mobile app that allows adjusting air pressure and airflow to the lungs.

Another low-cost open-source ventilator called VentilAid. Most parts can be made anywhere locally with the help of a 3D printer.

Engineers have also developed simple tools to save multiple lives using a single ventilator. Each ventilator is originally designed to be used by one patient at a time. But the new adapters adjust the ventilators to be used by 4-9 patients simultaneously. These adapters can be built using 3D printers.

One of them called VESper has already been approved by FDA for emergencies, These innovative things can save their lives.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to worldwide shortages of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), surgical masks, gloves, diagnostics kits, artificial respiratory apparatus like Ventilators, oxygen cylinders, and other appliances. India needs around 38 million masks and 6.2 million pieces of PPE, according to media reports.

This situation has led certain automobile manufacturers such as Tata Motors, Mahindra& Mahindra, Hyundai motor, Honda cars, and Maruti Suzuki to collaborate with the existing ventilators makers.

Maruti is collaborating with AgVA healthcare to rapidly scale-up production of 10,000 ventilators per month. Similarly, Mysuru based medical equipment maker Skanray Technologies is partnering with Bharat Electronics Ltd.

We need to invest more in science and technology-based companies. The Pune based Mylab discovery is one such example to show the scientific talent in a shorter duration. Even though if we want world-class science, a researcher in biotechnology sector earns  almost 40% less on average than data analytics based on publicly available data.

The COVID-19  crisis should reprioritize of medical research in the west. India needs strong public health infrastructure not only to COVID-19 but such as preventing chronic illness, controlling infectious diseases and increasing the frontline healthcare workers and affordability of medicine.