The device created by the students

A group of five friends from Jammu and Kashmir — all engineering students — have created a low-cost ventilator using locally available materials while in lockdown. They have named it Ruhdaar.

The project began when Zulqarnain, a first-year student of Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay, teamed up with his friends PS Shoib, Asif Shah and Shakar Nehvi from Islamic University of Science & Technology (IUST), Awantipora, Pulwama, and Majid Koul from NIT, Srinagar. They took assistance from the Design Innovation Centre (DIC) at IUST, Pulwama, for giving shape to their innovative idea, according to a statement by the Human Resource Development Ministry.

Students said the prototype cost them around Rs 10,000, however, they are expecting it to be cheaper when it will be produced at a mass level. The production will need not only an industry partner but also a go-ahead from medical experts. The prototype is currently being tested by medical authorities. The team claims that they will not charge any royalty for the product.

In video | How does RUHDAAR work

Zulqarnain said that the main problem the team faced was the lack of resources. The team tried many designs including a design developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, before they came up with their frugal design considering the resource constraints.

Asif, who is an alumnus of IUST and CEO of Symcore Technologies, was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the HRD Ministry, “The idea was to design and develop a low-cost alternative to the conventional ventilator. Our team has been able to achieve control of basic parameters such as tidal volume, Breaths per Minute and Inspiratory: Expiratory Ratio and to also monitor pressure continuously during its operation.”

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IUST, Majid H. Koul said that the low-cost frugal ventilator was developed using facilities at the centre such as 3-D printing and laser-cutting technologies also were instrumental in the success of the prototype. The centre is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India.