A prototype of a low-cost non-invasive ventilator for COVID-19 patients has been designed and developed by the Golden Rock Railway Workshop here.
The design for the ventilator was finalised by a team of technical personnel of the workshop after holding detailed discussions with medical professionals, anaesthesiologists and subject experts.
Developed under ‘Project SWAAS’, the ventilator could control Breath Per Minute (BPM), Tidal Volume (TiV) and Inspiration to ExpirationTime ratio. In-house 3 D modelling was utilised for testing the design.
Clinical parameters and functionality were obtained from doctors at the Railway Hospital at Perambur, Golden Rock and Madurai besides doctors from the Government Medical College Kottayam and AIIMS, New Delhi, Chief Workshop Manager Shyamadhar Ram said.
The doctors were consulted online in view of the current lockdown. A team of six supervisors from
production and diesel shops besides a couple of works managers all led by Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer (Production) Jithin Nelson developed the ventilator in a span of about 10 days, Mr. Shyamadhar Ram further said.
Final trials were done by a Senior Divisional Medical Officer – Anaesthesia from the Railway Hospital, Tiruchi, a couple of days ago.
The cost involved in developing the ventilator prototype was around ₹ 25,000. The system has a buzzer alert in case of emergency with emergency switch off provision.
Mr. Shyamadhar Ram said the workshop had taken up this initiative on its own to join hands with the nation in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic spread. The workshop would approach the Indian Council of Medical Research to seek its approval prior to going in for production.
The over 80-year-old workshop had recently converted over 100 passenger compartments into quarantine / isolation coaches by making suitable modifications in them in the wake of COVID-19 spread. It had supplied mild steel cots for the railway hospitals at Tiruchi and Chennai on the direction of the Railway Board. It was also engaged in the manufacture of Personal Protective Equipment coverall for railway doctors and para-medical teams.