Bill Dally, the chief scientist at Nvidia developed a low-cost open-source ventilator, which can be assembled quickly and could be used to treat patients with coronavirus, OP-Vent as he called it was developed with a proportional solenoid valve.
Nvidia published on its official blog, the project created by Bill Dally by a group of scientists from Stanford University, it is about OP-Vent an open source fan that can be created using inexpensive parts and in little weather.
“Our philosophy is to build the simplest possible ventilator that can be produced quickly and inexpensively, but meets the needs of treating patients with COVID-19, ”
Dally said in a video.
According to Nvidia, Dally built the prototype using a solenoid valve he bought online, a microcontroller, a dismantled computer, and a home cooling system he built for his home cellar.
The valve uses an electromagnet that can be opened and closed, Dally spent a couple of nights in his workshop, developing several lines of code and in just two weeks already had the first functional prototype built from pipe fittings and valves.
The first prototype was recorded in his home workshop, where it is observed how the device slowly inflates and deflates a rubber glove, likewise, you can notice the reaction of the scientist and professor when seeing that the device in effect “works!” .
Subsequently, OP Vent (open-source, proportional solenoid valve ventilator) was improved thanks to the collaboration of experts such as Paul Karplus, a Stanford alumnus known for his work in autonomous vehicles and robotics. Emma Tran, a fourth-year medical student and some doctors from Stanford University School of Medicine.
Currently OP Vent can be assembled in just minutes, connected to a simple display and packed in a Pelican transport box
Combat the respirator crisis
Dally notes that prototype development for this fan is valued at $ 400 using standard components, with mass production the cost could drop to $ 300 and using 3D printed open source parts could drop to a cost of $ 100, a significant figure. because according to Nvidia a fan has a cost of USD $ 20,000 currently.
Dally’s goal is to help produce the largest number of ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients in a situation where there is currently a crisis in these medical supplies. The ventilator was successfully tested in a lung simulator, and Dally is now in the process of applying for an FDA emergency use authorization.
If Dally’s device is approved, the next challenge will be finding a way to build it.
Ventilators are currently essential since they can help COVID-19 patients obtain mechanical respiration, currently many universities, scientists and technology companies are developing respirators, ventilators and other supplies that are necessary in the face of the health chaos generated by the pandemic of coronavirus.
The materials to be manufactured in the fan appear on this website under an open-source license “Ventilator Open-Source License” (VOSL). It should be noted that when downloading or using any component, you must respect the terms and conditions of this license.
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