MEDIIK: Design and Manufacturing of an Emergency Ventilator against COVID-19 Pandemic

Herein we describe the modular design and manufacturing of an emergency ventilator based on cyclical compression of a resuscitation bag to face the COVID-19 pandemic. This was done to mitigate the staggering conditions to supply these medical devices under challenging scenarios of need and logistics. The design is based on international standards and commissions for medical electrical equipment, particular requirements for basic safety, electromagnetic compatibility, and essential performance of critical care and emergency ventilators. The modular design is capable of providing four ventilation modes: volume/pressure mandatory ventilation and volume/pressure assisted ventilation. After testing with artificial lungs, calibration, and validation instruments it was found that the main ventilation parameters achieved are: maximum tidal volume of 700 mL, maximum pressure of 50 cmH2O, inspiration/expiration ratio up to 1:4 at 30 breaths per minute. The MEDIIK designation is derived from the mayan word ik' which means wind. © 2021 ACM.

Mechanical power measurement during mechanical ventilation of SARS-CoV-2 critically ill patients. A cohort study

Introduction: The ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) depends on the amount of energy per minute transferred by the ventilator to the lung measured in Joules, which is called mechanical power. Mechanical power is a development variable probably associated with outcomes in ventilated patients. Objective(s): To describe the value of mechanical power in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and ventilated for other causes and its relationship between days of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. Method(s): A multicenter, analytical, observational cohort study was conducted in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who required invasive mechanical ventilation and patients ventilated for other causes for more than 24 hours. Result(s): The cohort included 91 patients on mechanical ventilation in three tertiary care centers in the city of Pereira, Colombia. The average value of the mechanical power found was 22.7 +/- 1 Joules/min. In the subgroup of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, the value of mechanical power was higher 26.8 +/- 9 than in the subgroup of patients without a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection 18.2 +/- 1 (p <0.001). Conclusion(s): Mechanical power is an important variable to consider during the monitoring of mechanical ventilation. This study found an average value of mechanical power of 22.7 +/- 1 Joules/min, being higher in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection related to longer days of mechanical ventilation and a longer stay in the ICU. Copyright © 2022 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.