Mechanical ventilators are critical for treating patients with acute respiratory complications from COVID-19, as they maintain a constant positive pressure to keep the alveoli open when they are blocked.
To address this need, more than 100 volunteers from 20 academic, business, and public institutions, coordinated by Ruta N and ANDI, have joined forces under the #InnspiraMED initiative to develop three scalable ventilator prototypes. One prototype is led by the Bioinstrumentation and Clinical Engineering Research Group (GIBIC) at Universidad de Antioquia, another by Industrias Médicas Sampedro, and a third by EIA University.
“Having three prototypes allows us to avoid relying on a single design, especially as certain components may become scarce, or challenges may arise during testing,” explained Mauricio Toro, founder and Technology Director of Industrias Médicas Sampedro. The prototypes are currently in the design phase, with testing to follow, supported by intensivist physicians at San Vicente Fundación Hospital.
The project, a non-profit initiative, aims to create an Open Source mechanical ventilator, allowing anyone globally to access and replicate the designs to treat patients.
A crowdfunding campaign will be launched to raise the necessary funds for production, but currently, InnspiraMED is not accepting donations through any individual or organization. For updates, follow official statements and the InnspiraMED blog.
#InnovaPorLaVida is raising funds for InnspiraMED and three other STI initiatives to combat COVID-19. Learn more and contribute here.
