
Fraunhofer launches ventilator design challenge
German research institute Fraunhofer is looking for ground-breaking ideas on how to develop a feasible and digitally distributable blueprint for emergency ventilation equipment such as a non-invasive ventilator and consumables like respiratory masks, valves or oxygen tanks.
The aim of the ‘Give a Breath’ challenge is to enable immediate, decentralised production using global 3D printing or other rapid manufacturing capabilities. Applications are open now, and the best designs will go through to a second pase at the end of this week. Final designs will be chosen on 9th April and launched the following day.
The equipment to be developed should only be used in states of emergency for the decentralised treatment of non-intensive care Covid-19 patients, in order to reduce demand for hospitalisation. The selected digital blueprints will be provided to governments and states around the world to enable them to start decentralised large scale production wherever it is needed the most.
This follows a UK challenge launched two weeks ago that has led to production of two existing ventilator designs. Medtronic in Ireland has also made one of its older ventilator designs and code open source, and the University of Marburg developed an open source ventilator: SIMPLE DESIGN IS EASY AND INEXPENSIVE TO BUILD
https://give-a-breath-challenge.innosabi.com/
Related ventilator articles
- MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY TAKES CENTRE STAGE IN OUTBREAK
- ANGLIA COVID TASK FORCE PRIORITIZES DESIGN SUPPORT FOR MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
- MEDTRONIC LOOKS TO DOUBLE PRODUCTION IN IRELAND
- PROJECTS AIM TO TACKLE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
