low-cost mechanical ventilator

   In 2010, a team of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) designed and prototyped a low-cost, portable mechanical ventilator for use in mass casualty situations and resource-poor environments (Mohsen Al Husseini et al., 2010). This ventilator delivers breaths by compressing an Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU) bag with a pivoting arm, eliminating the need for a human operator to manually squeeze the bag. The initial prototype, built from acrylic, is driven by an electric DC motor powered by a 14.8 VDC battery and features an adjustable tidal volume of up to 750 ml. Users can input the desired tidal volume and the number of breaths per minute. The prototype also includes an assist-control mode and an alarm to indicate over-pressurization of the system. This research project was motivated by the need to address respiratory diseases and injury-induced respiratory failure, which are significant public health issues in both developed and developing countries.

In December 2019, a novel and highly contagious viral pneumonia outbreak occurred in Wuhan, China. This virus, identified as a zoonotic coronavirus similar to SARS and MERS, was named COVID-19. By February 8, 2020, there were 33,738 confirmed cases and 811 deaths reported in China (Liu et al., 2020). As the virus spread globally, hospitals faced a critical shortage of ventilators needed to support the increasing number of patients. In response, various groups began designing and building low-cost ventilators for temporary use in hospitals. MIT reassembled a new team and created a website to provide an open-source ventilator design, known as the MIT Emergency Ventilator (MIT E-Vent). This design also uses a compressed AMBU bag to deliver breaths to patients but with a different mechanism and program design compared to the 2010 prototype.

Inspired by the MIT team’s efforts, our team has embarked on designing our own ventilator using locally available materials. Our goal is to create a cost-effective and accessible solution that can be rapidly deployed in resource-limited settings. By leveraging local resources and expertise, we aim to contribute to the global effort in combating respiratory diseases and ensuring that life-saving equipment is available to those in need.