The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee, in collaboration with All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Rishikesh, has developed a low-cost ventilator. A presentation was made before 450 industry representatives for early mass production.

The ventilator, Prana Vayu, will cost ₹25,000 per unit, much less than the products available in the market. “Today, Prana Vayu was presented to more than 450 industries representatives in a webinar organized by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). I am happy to share that we have received interest from multiple industries for its mass production. We are committed to augmenting the efforts of the government in tackling the pandemic,” said Ajit K. Chaturvedi, director, IIT-Roorkee.

“This low-cost ventilator will be highly useful for COVID-19 patients, especially when there is a shortage of ventilators,” Chaturvedi added.

“It has been designed especially for COVID-19 pandemic. It is low-cost, safe, reliable, and can be quickly manufactured. We have successfully achieved the ventilator requirement on a test lung, and it can be used for both infants and even overweight adults,” said Akshay Dvivedi, one of the creators of the product. The prototype was tested successfully for normal and patient-specific breathing conditions, the IIT said, adding that it does not require compressed air for functioning and can be especially useful in cases when hospital wards or open areas are converted into ICUs.

“It is safe and reliable as it is equipped with real-time spirometry and alarms. It can automatically limit high pressure with an alarm system. In case of a failure, the circuit opens to the atmosphere which prevents choking. Some additional features are remote monitoring by health professionals, touch screen control of all operating parameters, moister, and temperature control for inhaled air,” the IIT claimed. India is gradually observing a spike in COVID-19 cases with more than 2000 confirmed cases so far. If the number spikes or there is a community spread of the novel coronavirus then India’s medical system will struggle to cope with the demand. While governments at the center and the states are making all effort, research institution’s contributions to make quick prototypes and sharing their know-how with industry for possible mass production will be helpful.

Also read: Govt’s Aarogya Setu app will alert people about Coronavirus patients