Rice University Creates Low-Cost Ventilators to Fight Coronavirus
“The inexpensive part of that makes it a very good thing compared to your multi-thousand dollar ventilators or some of the other ones you’ve seen on the internet”
This is just the sort of innovative spirit we need right now.
Click2Houston reports:
Rice University develops low-cost ventilators to help fight coronavirus
Rice University has created a new and inexpensive tool that could soon be available and on the front-lines in the fight against coronavirus.
“We’ve created a low-cost ventilator solution that we hope to release to the world for people,” professor Matthew Wettergreen said.
The prototype is already in the works at the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen at Rice University, as part of a senior design course project. The ventilators will cost less than $300 to develop.
However, the efforts to get the product out to the public have quick ramped up over the last week as the world faced a medical supply shortage because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The inexpensive part of that makes it a very good thing compared to your multi-thousand dollar ventilators or some of the other ones you’ve seen on the internet,” said Danny Blacker, an engineering design supervisor at Rice University.
With much-needed medical equipment running out for medical staff, this device could be a game-changer, Rice University executive director Amy Kavalewitz said.
“What our device could possibly do is free up larger ventilators for more critical patients,” she said.
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Comments
Fake news. There are lots of low cost ventilators out there, they just haven’t been approved by the FDA to be used on people. Get back to us in a year or 2.
I think this is an excellent teaching opportunity – let students discover just how complicated it is to run a business and meet all the government regulations.
Have them research the medical device regulations, labor laws, state and local jurisdiction laws, health and safety, import regulations, packaging and labeling requirements, etc, etc.
…just how complicated it is to run a business and meet all the government regulations.
Famously, George McGovern had a bit of an epiphany when he decided to open a bed and breakfast.
…just how complicated it is to run a business and meet all the government regulations.
Well, here in The People’s Republic of New York, “regulation” is really The Ministry of Production under a false flag — they really don’t think anything should be happening outside state mandate n direction. So, you get innovation at the speed (quality, and flexibility) of government.
You can get anything to happen, and quickly, as long as the established patronage relationships are satisfied. See, for example, “ride share” approval … go for it in NYC, but can’t have it in rest of state until the insurance industry understands how they’ll get their piece. Apparently, it’s “safe” to ride share uninsured in NYC, but not elsewhere. Truly a special place.
And things like working ventilator “solutions”
And things like working ventilator “solutions” similarly sit on the sidelines until the gatekeepers understand how they’ll get their piece.
(Edit function is defeating me. I blame The Donald’s inadequate non-Chinese COV19 response.)
Tell all those “gate keepers” they’re got final stage/term, fatal infections and watch how fast everything changes.