New Pocket Ventilator By Indian Robotics Engineer Could Save Millions

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Breathing machines or ventilators are not new to the field of medical science. These devices are very common in hospitals and virtually every medical related establishment. What is new however, is the micro or portable ventilator that was recently invented by a young Indian Professor Diwakar Vaish and a neurosurgeon, Dr. Deepak Agrawal.

Aptly described in the medical field, a ventilator is a lifesaving medical equipment used and applied for critically ill patients or people with medical conditions and have difficulty in breathing. A ventilator is very often used as a last resort to aid a patient’s survival.

This essential medical device is without a doubt one of the key inventions at the turn of the century. It is also known as a respirator or breathing machine. Ventilators make sure patients get enough oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. They are attached to a computer and are controlled by a respiratory doctor or therapist

However, due to the expensive nature and the limited scale of the traditional breathing machines or ventilators, so many patients in dire need, have unfortunately, not been able to get enough access to it and die prematurely in most developing and third-world countries, due to lack of treatment.

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According to medical journals online - featured in this post; India, which is the second most populated country in the world, has in recent years faced a huge shortage of ventilator beds which are required to support critically ill-patients, with breathing problems.

In a bid to address the health challenge, Prof Diwakar Vaish, a 25-year old robotics engineer, and Dr. Deepak Agrawal, a neurosurgeon at the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS), invented the world’s smallest and affordable ventilator device which can comfortably fit into a pocket.

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The New Pocket Disposable Ventilator

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In an article publication describing the new device; the smart invention also boasts of smartphone compatibility, meaning if you own an android device, you can easily operate and control your portable ventilator device yourself, with so much ease, devoid of so much assistance from a medical professional.

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Features of the portable and disposable ventilator

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According to Dr. Deepak, the new piece of advanced tech;

• is about 450 times smaller than conventional ventilators
• uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm and functionality
• implements the AI tech to control air supply while restoring a patient’s normal breathing pattern
• runs on room air, and not on oxygen
• has a maximum life of 4 weeeks
• has no operating cost
• possesses smartphone compatibility (controlled with an android app)
• costs between Rs 10,000 ($155 dollars) and Rs 15,000 ($232 dollars)
• works on the normal power connection
• also comes with an additional battery backup, which lasts for a couple of hours.

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How it works

The pocket disposable ventilator works by pushing the atmospheric air into the lungs of the patient who cannot breathe normally, on their own.

Although, the normal disposable ventilators being used currently, have the same functionality of air-push into the lungs, but they do it at a fixed frequency which often times, does to necessarily match the breathing pattern of a patient. This can then lead to low oxygen saturation.

However, the new pocket disposable ventilator synchronizes the air support of the ventilator to achieve the normal breathing pattern of the user, enabling adequate oxygen saturation.

The pocket ventilator stands as a an affordable device and represents a great achievement in the field of medicine; as it would save millions of people in developing country suffering from insufficient lungs function and breathing defects.

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Tests, Trial and Approval

The pocket ventilator has been used presently by critically ill patients who are unable to breathe normally, at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS).

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Dr. Agrawal, while descrbing the successful trial of the device said;

“We have successfully used it for a couple of hours on six fully paralysed patients at AIIMS who have been unable to return home for the want of affordable ventilators.”

Reports also show that the makers of the FDA-approved disposable ventilator requested for more trials and approval before making the ventilator accessible for patients who cannot afford the conventional breathing machines.

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Safety Mechanism of the device

A safety feature of the pocket ventilator functions in a way that if there is a technical malfunction, the device would promptly switch to an alternate or secondary mode. After that a message would be sent to your android smartphone which will aid you on procedures and steps to correct the device of call for external assistance.

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In Summary

The invention of the new pocket disposable and relatively affordable ventilator would be a massive boost towards health-care restructuring in many developing nations.

The sole dependence on the bulking, stationary ventilators would see some reduction, as patients would comfortably handle their breathing defects using a simple device that can be tucked easily into the pocket, and controlled via an android app.

Many lives have been lost because of the cost - and more often than not; inaccessibility of critically ill-patients to conventional breathing ventilators in hospitals and health centres.

But a fully tested, functional, pocket and android controlled ventilator would surely be the next best thing in the field of medicine especially for the teeming population of people whose lungs function insufficiently, due to various medical ailment and conditions.

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Source/Reference: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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