AddiVent

The challenge was to create a low-cost and easy-to-manufacture mechanical ventilation device. This was in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was reaching a tipping point in March 2020 when this project began. The outbreak saw a desperate need for mechanical ventilators, forcing hard decisions to be made to determine who should get access to the limited machines.

The key to AddiVents operation is a Bag Valve Mask, a readily available medical device used to provide emergency ventilation. Usually squeezed by medical clinician to resuscitate patients, AddiVent takes replaces the clinicians hands to provide steady respiratory support to the patient. Its refined body design and easy to use interface makes AddiVent ready for use in a Hospital Environment. AddiVent is almost entirely 3D printed, and is designed to be made through crowd-sourced manufacturing methods. Members of the community with access to 3D printers can volunteer their time as resources to manufacture supplies for their local hospital.

AddiVent is a potentially life-saving device, presenting a viable option for mechanical ventilation to patients that would otherwise be turned away. It is entirely manufactured through community engagement; local people manufacturing devices for their local hospitals to save lives from their community. It can be made cheaply and quickly in response to emergency scenarios, such as COVID-19, to provide a life-saving device where there would otherwise be none.

Crowd-sourced manufacture is a new phenomenon that arose during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Around the world thousands of face-shields were 3D printed by community members and donated to their local hospitals. AddiVent leverages this, and with distributed community manufacture to only 30-40 3D printers, around 30 ventilators per week can be produced for only $500 per device. AddiVent requires no complex hardware or high tolerance manufacturing methods, needing only some bolts, skateboard bearings and cord for its operation. The unique mechanism is designed to be operational within the constraints of 3D printing, eliminating any high-wear mechanical interfaces and the need for high tolerances in it's manufacture. The completely enclosed package is manufactured from strong and chemically-resistant materials, making it ready for use in a hospital environment. All moving parts and electrical components are completely enclosed, while still maintaining easy access to the BVM inside It provides a large screen and simple interface within a space efficient and portable package, making it usable to medical professionals in a clinical environment. This is all within a functional and refined package aesthetic, improving the perception of this product as an effective medical device.