Artificial respirators are vital medical devices that can prevent and treat respiratory failure, saving and prolonging the lives of patients, allowing patients infected with COVID-19 to continue breathing or to be spared from respiratory distress due to blockage of the lungs. Because the virus attacks the lungs and causes fibrosis when it enters the body; when the body is infected with this virus, the lungs build up a large amount of mucus and there is an increased risk of secondary infections, which in turn cause respiratory problems.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing global fermentation of the new coronavirus, we are facing a number of emergencies, among them the near collapse of many healthcare systems due to the increasing number of diagnosed patients, one of the reasons for which is the acute shortage of ventilators.
As COVID-19 spreads rapidly across the globe, the number of new patients continues to increase and many hospitals are running out of critical medical supplies. Thankfully, many industries and companies have taken it upon themselves to “cross over” and produce medical supplies including masks, swabs, medications, and ventilators in the shortest possible time to help fight the “epidemic”.
At a time when medical equipment such as ventilators was desperately needed, developers with technical skills launched a large open-source program to plan and produce medical equipment that could assist patients, including ventilators. The project has attracted the participation of hundreds of engineers, medical professionals and researchers. Many more designers have adopted 3D printing and other technologies used to manufacture parts and devices on demand.
Figure 1: Specialized artificial respirator (Source: Hamilton Medical)
To make your own ventilator, you first need to understand how it works. In simple terms, it works by allowing oxygen into the lungs and removing carbon dioxide to help the patient breathe smoothly. The amount of oxygen can be controlled by a monitor. The ventilator connects a tube to the patient's mouth or nose. Modern ventilators are controlled by small embedded computers and are considered to be life-threatening systems for which strict precautions must be taken to ensure their reliability.
Developing Specialized Programs
A variety of different ventilator designs, many of which appear on GitHub, play an important role when there is a lack of adequate equipment available in hospitals and at home. Many of the development project ideas focus on creating low-cost, basic ventilators to assist with breathing in the event of severe lung disease. However, these devices may also affect people's medical conditions. For this reason, it is important to consult with a physician rather than simply looking for information on the Internet. This is because there are considerable risks associated with the use of ventilators, especially when used in high-pressure environments.
Low Cost Open Source Ventilator (PAPR)
There is a low-cost development project on GitHub (Figure 2) that could save many lives if used properly. The device is capable of programming the respiratory rate (e.g., 10-16 breaths per minute) and may generate peak airway pressures of up to 45 cm H2O (but preferably not more than 20 cm H2O to avoid danger). It will only propel the atmosphere (containing 21% oxygen). As for if other oxygenation rates are required, specialized equipment must be used; however, the equipment in Figure 2 is very useful and valuable in emergency situations where there is no other option.
The project is still seeking further proposals. Indeed, there may be certain components that are not readily available in the short term. The ventilator is considered to be quite small, so it is not easy to design an all-encompassing system in it that is adequate to protect against the spread of the virus.
However, it is really only intended to work in an infected environment - where droplets containing the virus are scattered in the air. Operational management can be done using Arduino. in addition, systems and solutions should be investigated to avoid hazards in the event of a power failure.
Figure 2: Artificial respirator development project (Source: GitHub)
The Pandemic Ventilator, a development project at Instructables, is made mostly from easy-to-use components (Figure 3). Although it's entirely DIY, it also aims to save lives. It can be used as an emergency ventilator. In this growing epidemic, the number of people needing ventilator treatment will soon exceed the number of devices currently available, but hospitals cannot buy the number of ventilators needed for all patients.
The design of this ventilator is very simple, but uses a modern electronic control system. Wood, tape, plastic bags, threaded tubing, solenoid valves, solenoid switches, and PLCs are used, and the hardware and software features are continually updated and improved. According to the warning for the return of the project, the current prototype of the device has only experimental purposes and has not yet been
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