Lifesaving invention by IIT Ropar-nation’s first device “JIVAN VAYU” developed
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
With the COVID-19 virus now spreading to villages and smaller towns, steady power supply is emerging as a key concern for those on medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators and ventilators. The virus in moderate to severe stages affects the respiratory system requiring high flow oxygen administration. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of HFNO (High Flow Nasal Oxygen), NIPPV (Non-invasive Positive Pressure Ventilation) and CPAP/BiPAP (Continuous/Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) oxygen therapies. It has been established that the use of existing CPAP machines especially in the early stages of the Covid-19 infection reduce lung damage and allow patients to recover from the inflammatory effects. CPAP machines use mild air pressure to keep a patient’s airways open to avoid the collapse of airways.
But there is a common worry. Doctors are concerned that if their CPAPs lose power in the night, their patients may suffocate in their sleep. Power failure poses more serious issues for patients with moderate to severe respiratory infections and the death of the patient can raise serious concerns regarding patient education in the use of CPAP devices, especially in the case of a power outage. But now there is BIG relief to get rid from this problem, IIT Ropar has developed a 3D printed, POWER-FREE device ‘JIVAN VAYU’ which can deliver high flow oxygen (20 – 60 LPM) while maintaining a continuous positive pressure of upto 20 cm H2O, resulting in a low cost and accessible CPAP therapy. The device is designed to maintain an FiO2(fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) is the concentration of oxygen in the gas mixture) of above 40% with a PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) of 5-20 cm H2O.
Additionally, the device houses a viral filter at the air entrainment end with a viral efficacy of 99.99%. The viral filter ensures that the entrained air does not bring in any pathogens from the environment. The design specifications have been modeled to optimize an accelerated flow of up to 60 LPM (from an oxygen cylinder) and the device has been manufactured using 3D printing.
The device is designed for a 22mm CPAP closed circuit and can also be customized. The IN end of device needs to be attached to the oxygen supply e.g. oxygen cylinder through a nozzle/adapter. A viral filter is fitter into the air entrainment window and the OUT end should be attached to a 22mm CPAP tube which is further attached to the CPAP Mask and PEEP Valve. The flow and Positive pressure can be controlled through the regulator at cylinder end and PEEP valve respectively. The device has been designed and tested to be leak proof.
During summer, the electricity demand increases, and the distribution system, which is already fragile or not robustly built, gets overloaded, and power supply is interrupted. Rural India is likely to be the worst affected, with government data showing that nearly 39,000 health sub-centres in rural India were functioning without electricity supply .For April 2021, India’s power demand is trending up 42% year-on-year and 9% against April 2019 levels. In particular, power demand for states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra, which are key industrial regions, are up 48% and 36% year-on-year, respectively. This potentially lifesaving device ‘Jivan Vayu’ can be used through a normal oxygen cylinder or main oxygen line, to provide an accelerated flow rate without electricity. The device has been tested mechanically and developed at the ‘Advanced Materials and Design Lab’ led by Dr. Khushboo Rakha, Assistant Professor, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. The team has collaborated with Suresh Chand, Faculty Incharge, Rapid Prototyping Lab, Siemens Centre of Excellence at Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh for 3D printing of the device.
Lifesaving invention by IIT Ropar-nation’s first device “JIVAN VAYU” developed . The device is ready for medical testing and the team is currently seeking industrial collaboration for the commercialization of this life saving device at the earliest.
June 15,2021
