HN Explorer

Ask HN: Is anyone working on open source DIY artificial ventilators/respirators?

10 points by jbms ↗ HN
There's a possibility the spread of COVID-19 leads to a lot of people needing help to breathe and not enough equipment.

Is anyone working on easy-to-build DIY versions?

What are the requirements?

- Made of ubiquitous simple components

- Provides "clean" air

- What flow rate?

- What cadence?

- What feedback mechanisms? Can it (or an operator) close the loop with cheap fingertip O2 sensors?

What's the starting point - designs from the 1800s/1900s?

5 comments

[ 3.2 ms ] story [ 27.4 ms ] thread
ankalagon
Stealing a comment I saw the other day in a thread where a open source ventilator was shown, if you need a ventilator you'd need intensive care as well.
foxyv
Lot of stuff that can go wrong with ventilator patients:

- Blood pressure from intrathoracic pressure caused by ventilation. - Sedation and pain from ventilation - Obstruction of airway - Removal of airway secretions - Arterial Blood Gas checks (Blood Ph, Oxygenation, CO2 levels) - Secondary infection due to ventilation

https://www.nursingcenter.com/clinical-resources/nursing-poc...

jbms
Fundamental stuff that can go wrong with ventilator patients who don't have ventilation:

Death.

foxyv
Just saying, without medical supervision, current ventilator models are going to almost certain to cause deaths. An open source ventilator would either need to be implemented by medical experts or account for the above.
VectorLock
I wonder if CPAP/BiPAP machines can be software hacked into ventilators. Some BiPAP models are almost identical to those labeled as "ventilators."