A team of researchers from the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA has developed a positive pressure ventilator, a variant of mechanical ventilator.
Presenting the prototype to the university authority, the Dean, School of Engineering and Engineering Technology SEET, Prof. Aremu Akintunde said the present design falls within the non-invasive mechanical ventilator category.
He said noninvasive mechanical ventilators come with covers and can be used at health facilities and at home because of its versatility adding that the design is of the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) type which delivers constant and steady pressure.
The system runs on direct current and can be configured to be powered by solar energy thus it has no direct negative effect on the environment.
Another unique advantage of the device is its portability as it can be used in ambulances in the case of emergency and it can also be used in Primary Health Care facilities in the rural areas. It is also configured in a way to run on car battery which carries 12 volts.
Explaining how the device works, Akintunde said that compliance and resistance for periodical dispensation of tidal volume was calculated and accomplished by using intermittent inspiratory and expiratory pause since normal breathing consists of an average Tidal Volume (VT) of 5ml/kg.
He said the machine was designed to dispense VT between 5ml/kg and 10ml/kg and that the machine has two parts namely the mechanical part which does the pumping of the air (Oxygen) while the electronic part offers the control and sensor of the mechanism.
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