autoevolution
 

Man Uses Car Parts to Build a Pandemic Ventilator That Could Help Fight COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has caught many hospitals off guard, as the lack of mechanical ventilators could sometimes be fatal for those who contract the new coronavirus.
The ventilator doesn't even use a controller 6 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video
Pandemic ventilator with off the shelf partsPandemic ventilator with off the shelf partsPandemic ventilator with off the shelf partsPandemic ventilator with off the shelf partsPandemic ventilator with off the shelf parts
And while authorities from all over the worlds struggle to find more equipment in the fight against COVID-19, someone has come up with a brilliant idea that essentially addresses the shortage of ventilators using off the shelf parts.

More specifically, Marco Mascorro has built a mechanical ventilator, or a “pandemic ventilator” as he calls it, with car parts purchased from Amazon, using a very basic design that doesn’t even rely on a controller such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi.

Instead, the whole system uses relays and switches, as well as car parts that pretty much anyone would be able to find. In fact, this is the main benefit of this project: because car parts are easy to procure, building a pandemic ventilator could help address the shortage that hospitals are forced to deal with.

In a YouTube video describing the design of the ventilator, Mascorro explains that he used parts like compressors, air filters, air regulators, multiple valves, air cylinders, and even an ULPA filter.

The ULPA filter, in particular, is quite important, as it’s being used to filter the contaminated air that the infected patient exhales, Mascorro explains.

Currently, in the design I have an ULPA filter, which is an ultra-low particle filter. It’s probably way more efficient than a, or more efficient in general, than a HEPA filter. It’s designed to filter .12 microns,” Mascorro notes.

While he explains that his design isn’t approved by FDA and shouldn’t be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, viewers have already expressed interest in building similar ventilators that would then be donated to their local hospitals facing an equipment shortage.

I live in San Miguel de Allende which you know is 30 minutes from Celeya... SMA only has 6 ventilators and we need more… I have a fully equipped shop ie, milling machines, lathes, ect and would like to offer these to our local hospitals,” someone says in the comments section.

Mascorro says he’s already working on version 2 of this ventilator, so additional details should be published shortly.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories