Page 13 - ME Spring 2020 Newsletter

Medical Devices Center Creates Emergency Ventilator
UMN anesthesiology fellow Stephen Richardson partnered with the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center, directed by ME Professor Arthur Erdman, to create a prototype for a low-cost emergency ventilator. One week and 70 volunteers later, two prototypes — now called the Coventor — tested successfully. On April 15, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized production, the first of its kind to be approved for emergency use during the COVID-19 outbreak. Production is scheduled
to start next month on a run of 3,000 devices, with
plans to scale up according to demand. Its designers will sell the Coventor at cost, in addition to releasing the design plans. When a hospital’s ventilators are all in use, or if patients don’t have access to high-end ventilators, the Coventor steps in.
CSE undergrads volunteer to assemble Coventors
The Coventor
Over 150 CSE undergraduates — many of them ME majors — volunteered
to work on coronavirus-related
projects, including the Coventor, allowing research to move along at an unprecedented rate. “Full speed ahead,” said Erdman. #UMNProud
No PPE? No Problem
Testing for COVID-19 is being delayed due to a
shortage of PPE. When faced with this issue, ME
Professor Chris Hogan found a way around. The
Hogan Lab research team, along with ME staff
members, built game-changing booths with positive
pressure HEPA filtered air to allow healthcare workers
to safely test COVID-19 patients without the need for
PPE. ME Research Engineer Ian Marabella designed
the first HEPA filtered booth, and ME Facilities
Supervisor Nistar “Richard” Maharaj built the first
prototype before handing it off to the CSE Shop for machining work. M Health Fairview will implement 12 booths at five drive-up diagnostic testing sites across the Twin Cities
metro, with more on the horizon.
Professor Hogan also served as engineer and aerosol expert on a project that resulted in respiratory procedure boxes to protect healthcare professionals when treating COVID-19 patients. The team’s respiratory procedure box will help prevent airborne transfer of COVID-19 from patients by limiting the potential for droplets emitted during coughing and sneezing. For procedures like intubation, extubation, and other airway-related treatments, the box provides protection beyond an N95 mask because it blocks droplets while putting the barrier close to the patient so multiple health care providers
can attend simultaneously — and safely.
Chris Hogan demonstrates the procedure box
M Health Fairvew workers demonstrate the booth
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