When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the spring, Auburn researchers adapted to the rapidly changing research environment, utilizing best practices in safety procedures to carry on with essential research programs.
Auburn design adapts CPAP machines into emergency ventilators
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In April a team of Auburn engineers developed a way to quickly and inexpensively convert CPAP machines into ventilators, one of the most important tools hospitals have for helping COVID-19 patients.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), machines are commonly used to help people with obstructive sleep apnea breathe more easily during sleep. The Auburn design, called RE-InVENT, is an accessory that safely repurposes a CPAP into a functional ventilator.
In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilators were in short supply at hospitals across the nation as the number of patients requiring respiratory assistance increased.
Dr. Tom Burch and Dr. Michael Zabala, faculty in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, and Hayden Burch, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, initiated the project. Additional engineering faculty and alumni helped refine the mechanical design, control system, user interface and alarms. Critical respiratory care medical professionals contributed to the design of RE-InVENT.
Successful tests with live animals were followed by production of the machines through a partnership with Huntsville-based IS4S, an integrated systems solutions company. The emergency ventilators were distributed to several medical facilities across the country.