{"id":159846,"date":"2020-04-14T07:36:38","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T11:36:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=159846"},"modified":"2020-04-13T12:44:40","modified_gmt":"2020-04-13T16:44:40","slug":"uconn-research-team-developing-emergency-ventilator-prototype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2020\/04\/uconn-research-team-developing-emergency-ventilator-prototype\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn Research Team Developing Emergency Ventilator Prototype"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jeffrey McCutcheon, the Al Geib Professor of Environmental Engineering Research and Education at UConn, is usually busy this time of year studying subjects like membrane separations and filtration. But like many, the director of the Fraunhofer USA Center for Energy Innovation, located in the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park, has seen the focus of his work change with the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Now, McCutcheon is leading a team that is developing a prototype of an emergency ventilator that could be produced by Connecticut manufacturers to help ease the anticipated shortage of the devices as the novel coronavirus continues to spread across the state.<\/p>\n

The project started when Ed Wazer, the laboratory director of the Fraunhofer Center, saw a video from a company in Spain that was building ventilators by using a rotating cam to press a level that squeezes an Ambu bag. Ambu bags are used by medical professionals to provide ventilation to those in respiratory distress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe original designers, as well as the people from around the world that are partaking in discussion groups related to the project, have been instrumental in getting the project this far,\u201d says Wazer.<\/p>\n

As a first step, the team built a prototype of the ventilator using a number of plastic parts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cam size and shape determines the performance of the ventilator in a lot of ways,\u201d says McCutcheon. \u201cWe have been running it for 72 hours at a time and analyzing the data to see if the pressure is stable, and seeing if there is evidence of failure or damage.”<\/p>\n

A second generation model was recently completed that is made out of aluminum.<\/p>\n

\"Emergency<\/a>
Emergency Ventilator<\/div>
The UConn Fire Department provided a mannequin to assist in the effort.<\/div><\/div>\"Emergency<\/a>
Emergency Ventilator<\/div>
The second generation of a prototype for an emergency ventilator.<\/div><\/div>\"Emergency<\/a>
Emergency Ventilator<\/div>
The second generation of a prototype of the emergency ventilator.<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

\u201cWe added a few more bells and whistles and are testing some more failsafes, which will lead us down the path to exploring an emergency use authorization from the Federal Drug Administration.\u201d<\/p>\n

That approval still needs to be gained, but the hope is that with a second prototype developed, that approval could come in a reasonable amount of time.<\/p>\n

Implementation to this point would not have been possible without the work of the Mechanical\/Glass: Design and Fabrication facility at UConn under the direction of Mark Drobney. The facility is where the parts to the ventilator have been created and improved.<\/p>\n

The UConn Fire Department loaned the group an incubation mannequin to help test out the system and also provided Ambu bags with pressure relief valves that will improve the system.<\/p>\n

\n

It\u2019s an emergency, and we have to bring all our state resources to bear. — UConn Engineering Professor Jeffrey McCutcheon<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote><\/span><\/p>\n

McCutcheon\u2019s hope is that the prototype uses parts that would be easy to make by Connecticut manufacturers working in metal or machinery.<\/p>\n

\u201cUConn\u2019s role here is not to manufacture ventilators, that is not what we do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He believes the right manufacturer could produce ten of these a week without much trouble, and they could be moved from hospital to hospital as the ventilator needs change over time.<\/p>\n