Development of low cost portable ventilators and a Jiga of functional tests and automated calibration

  • Funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo [São Paulo Research Foundation] (FAPESP)
  • Total publications:0 publications

Grant number: 2020/04921-7

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19
  • Start & end year

    2020
    2020
  • Funder

    Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo [São Paulo Research Foundation] (FAPESP)
  • Principal Investigator

    William Robert Heinrich
  • Research Location

    Brazil
  • Lead Research Institution

    Setup Automação e Controle de Processos
  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A
  • Research Category

    Clinical characterisation and management

  • Research Subcategory

    Supportive care, processes of care and management

  • Special Interest Tags

    Innovation

  • Study Type

    Non-Clinical

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Not Applicable

  • Vulnerable Population

    Not applicable

  • Occupations of Interest

    Not applicable

Abstract

On 03/20/20, the World Health Organization classified the disease COVID-19 as a pandemic. Without drugs and vaccines approved to fight the disease, the appropriate actions are extremely restricted: Social isolation and investment in mechanical ventilators and PPE. (Ranney, ML et.al. 2020) On 01/20/20 the first case of COVID-19 in the United States was confirmed and in less than 2 months the greatest economic power on the planet announced that it would not have enough equipment to assist patients in critical condition. According to The New York Times, the estimate for the number of patients who will need ventilators could reach one million, where the availability of equipment is between 60 and 160,000 units. Brazil had the confirmation of the first case of the disease and the estimate of incidence and need for hospitalization of infected people is alarming. Our country has a little more than 10 manufacturers of respirators, which together can produce around 1500 devices per month. Brazil has 65 thousand fans (VEJA of 03/27/2020) and if the isolation measures do not flatten the disease transmission curve, the demand may reach 630 thousand units in the worst scenario and 196 thousand in the best (projection based on American curve). In the country each device is sold, on average, for R $ 54,000.00. Countless global actions and initiatives have emerged to provide a quick response to the problem, from open projects for the production of very low-cost fans, even traditional projects made available by manufacturers on the internet for collaboration in emergency manufacturing. Inspired by this response movement to combat COVID-19, SETUP's team of researchers evaluated more than 10 available projects and found two critical aspects: the majority were concerned with developing very low-cost equipment, resulting in products without the necessary robustness to continuous use over the 14 days (average time of mechanical ventilation in the COVID treatment19) and does not meet the minimum requirements for control of vital function performance indicators that should be monitored in a severely ill patient. In addition, consolidated respirator designs in operation today use an old design concept, dedicated and not-so-simple circuits to operate, requiring advanced training of health professionals. The present project consists of constructive and usability improvements for 2 portable ventilator models: a low cost model, containing the minimum of functions to be tested and calibrated in accordance with ABNT IEC 60601 and other applicable standards, and can be used in field hospitals; a complete respirator model with advanced electronic control and simple interface to be used in Intensive Care Units. An automated lung calibration and testing station will also be developed. (AU) that contains the minimum of functions to be tested and calibrated in accordance with ABNT IEC 60601 standards and other applicable standards, and can be used in field hospitals; a complete respirator model with advanced electronic control and simple interface to be used in Intensive Care Units. An automated lung calibration and testing station will also be developed. (AU) that contains the minimum of functions to be tested and calibrated in accordance with ABNT IEC 60601 standards and other applicable standards, and can be used in field hospitals; a complete respirator model with advanced electronic control and simple interface to be used in Intensive Care Units. An automated lung calibration and testing station will also be developed.