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A low cost ventilator has been created. It uses a 3D-printed origami shaped tube rather than a conventional airbag.

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This article was published September 20, 2021

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Information about the article can be found at Medgadget.com

This article was written by Conn Hastings, PhD who is from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

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Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a worldwide shortage of ventilators. Healthcare staff are having to make hard decisions to determine where the ventilators would be put to best use. Ventilators are extremely expensive to make. This invention allows more to be created at a lower cost, preventing a shortage from here on out. It will also be beneficial for other areas where healthcare supplies are scarce. The total cost for this 3-D printed ventilator is about $200, where it cant cost upward of 2,000 for the ones currently being created. This ventilator may be smaller, but it is just as efficient as current ventilators being used.

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Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have developed a low-cost portable ventilator that uses a 3D-printed origami tube rather than a conventional airbag. The volume of the tube can be modified by changing the angles in the origami folding plates. As up to 95% of the components of the ventilator are 3D printable, the device can be created for approximately $200, compared with approximately $2000 for existing portable ventilators.

Ventilators have been a key tool during the COVID-19 pandemic, and shortages have inspired a variety of makeshift and innovative devices that have helped to save lives. While the worst effects of COVID-19 have been blunted by successful vaccination campaigns in many countries, millions of people do not yet have access to the vaccines, and the virus continues causing problems.

In many developing nations, lack of access to vaccines, healthcare facilities, and equipment could make the difference between life and death during the pandemic. There is an ongoing need for low-cost and portable medical equipment to treat COVID-19 patients in such regions, particularly in rural and remote locations.

While this latest technology is designed to be low-cost, it is far from makeshift, employing 3D printing and a unique origami design to create a small and portable ventilator. In the place of a simple bag, the ventilator includes a 3D printed origami tube in which origami folding plates interlock to form a tube that is smaller and stronger than the equivalent component in a conventional ventilator.

During operation, the tube is contracted to assist in breathing. As with so many devices intended for low-resource use, 3D printing was the key to the low cost of the technology. "In our portable origami ventilator, more than 95 per cent of components can be 3D printable, that's why it is really cost-efficient," said Woo Soo Kim, one of the developers of the new technology, in a press releas. "Other portable ventilators can cost over $2,000, but our 3D-printed ventilator can be produced for about $200."

The researchers hope that the technology could assist in low-resource or remote regions, where healthcare resources are scarce. They have partnered with a ventilator manufacturer with a view to scaling up production of the devices.

Study in Flexible and Printed Electronics: 3D architectured air sensing tubes for a portable mechanical ventilator

Via: Simon Fraser University

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3D-Printed Origami Tube for Low-Cost Ventilators

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Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada have developed a low-cost portable ventilator that uses a 3D-printed origami tube rather than a conventional airbag. The volume of the tube can be modified by changing the angles in the origami folding plates.

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-Low cost in production: this will allow hospitals to save money and make it more accessible to remote areas.

-More ventilators can be created due to the low cost.

-Performance is comparable to conventional ventilators.

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-Studies have not been done on humans yet.

-Although the cost for creating the ventilators will be low, the initial price for the 3-D technology is expensive.

-It takes special training and skill to work a 3-D printer.

-The environmental impact from the waste from 3-D printing needs to be considered.

-Lack of regulation and standards of 3-D printers for healthcare supplies.

-Improvements need to be made to 3-D printers before they can be used in mass production. To use 3-D printers on a mass scale, costs are high and production times are lengthy.

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I think the research for the printed ventilators shows that it would be great in a clinical setting. Its performance is reliable and the research is there to back it up. We do not know how many more waves of COVID-19 there are, so it would be extremely helpful to have more ventilators ready if they were to be needed.

The overall issue is that there is not enough information on 3-D printers to be regulated. If we were to use these printers to create healthcare items, there would need to be standards in place to ensure that the materials and production of the items were hospital grade. These printed ventilators have also not been used in human studies yet. Unfortunately with these issues, it would take time in order to resolve these questions, so it could be years before the ventilator was ready for clinical use.

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My strengths are:
-Achiever
-Harmony
-Consistency
-Deliberative
-Discipline.
The category of all these strengths are executing and relationship building.

These strengths will help me and my team in many ways. In order to have a solid team, one needs to have a good relationship with all members. Being an achiever allows me to work hard and be productive in my work. My strength in harmony will help everyone compromise. At every point in a group, there will be conflict which helps people brainstorm, but there ultimately needs to be resolve and compromise in order to continue working effectively as a team. Consistency allows me to treat each team member as an important and equal part of the team. Although everyone may hold a different role, each part is vital to the team. Being deliberative allows me to make each decision with good judgement. I think over each decision carefully for deciding. Discipline allows me to create structure within the group. Structure allows the group to work efficiently and be productive.

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Hastings, C. (2021, September 20). Medgadget. Retrieved September 27, 2021, from https://www.medgadget.com/2021/09/3d-printed-origami-tube-for-low-cost-ventilators.html.

Kim, T.-H., Min, X., Baker, D., Lee, W., & Kim, W. S. (2021). 3D architectured air sensing tubes for a portable mechanical ventilator. Flexible and Printed Electronics, 6(3), 035010. https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-8585/ac1fd6

Radfar, P., Bazaz, S. R., Mirakhorli, F., & Warkiani, M. E. (2021). The role of 3D printing in the fight against COVID-19 outbreak. Journal of 3D Printing in Medicine, 5(1), 51–60. https://doi.org/10.2217/3dp-2020-0028

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I chose each of my team members with different strengths from mine.

Chelsea (Command) - She will be beneficial to my team as I am someone who is not good at taking command. Every team needs a leader to help delegate responsibilities and as that is a weakness of mine, Chelsea will be great for a role like that.
Chloe (Competition) - Competitiveness is important in a group. It allows people to measure their success to one another and makes them work harder.
Fernando (Focus) - Someone with focus will help the group stay on task. Sometimes teams can become distracted by minor setbacks so someone with focus can guide the team back in the right direction.
Pablo (Positivity)- At some point in time, every group will face an obstacle that can seem impossible to overcome. Positivity is extremely important in a team. When one becomes tired and feels that the project is a failure or is never going to end, a person with a positive outlook can make all the difference. A positive person allows a change in outlook and can restart the team's momentum.
William (Woo) - Having someone with a strength like William will allow relationships to be built. Building relationships with new people is a weakness of mine, so William would be a great fit for this team. He would make everyone feel welcome and make everyone connect as a team.