How fast can we design and deploy an open source ventilator?

#COVID19

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There is already a group on this :slight_smile:

This would be cool to work on …

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That seems like a dead end. However, this seems to have borne fruit:

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https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/3/hhs-provides-liability-shield-for-coronavirus-coun

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After reading all these references this is the net of the challenge:
I think this design is all about the sensors to accomplish this control…

Further, any low-cost ventilator system must take great care regarding providing clinicians with the ability to closely control and monitor tidal volume, inspiratory pressure, bpm, and I/E ratio, and be able to provide additional support in the form of PEEP, PIP monitoring, filtration, and adaptation to individual patient parameters. We recognize, and would like to highlight for anyone seeking to manufacture a low-cost emergency ventilator, that failing to properly consider these factors can result in serious long-term injury or death.

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This video series [thanks @NedMan] is quite good at explaining medical theory and practice. I will probably add this author to my watch later list

This particular one explains the mechanism of how a virus kills and how ventilators apply to the treatment.

It also explains why control of the operation of the ventilator (i.e tital volume) is so important.

I can’t help but wonder if all hospitals and caregivers understand the nuances of how to ventilate a critical COV-19 patient. Note: the breakthroughs since 2000.

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Normally it is a respiratory therapist that sets up the ventilator and maintains it. The settings are in the physicians orders. The nurses will monitor the patient and will let the respiratory therapist or physician know if there are issues with the settings such as low oxygen saturation, excessive secretions blocking the airway ect. It is very rare and depends on the scope of practice (which can differ state to state) if anyone other than respiratory or a physician can change ventilator settings.

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