Filipino innovators develop alternative to ventilators for COVID-19

Ventilators are an important tool for the treatment of severe cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the Philippines will need more as the number of cases in the country continues to rise. 

This is why a team of innovators led by mechanical engineer Arcelio Fetizanan, Jr. is developing a design for a low-cost automated bag valve mask (BVM) that can potentially address the growing demand.

In a conversation with Atom Araullo for FYT, Fetizanan said they came up with the idea of making an electronically operated ventilator using a manual resuscitator or a BVM.

“Ito ‘yung manual resuscitator na may pump na manual tapos gagalaw-galawin natin ito para lumabas 'yung hangin doon sa pasyente, so 'yun 'yung agad na naisip namin, 'yung ginagamit nga pala, mga ambu bags," he said.

“Kulang talaga ‘yung mga ventilators, pero isa rin sa mga naging limitation namin on that part is mahirap makahanap ng parts ngayon…Hindi ka basta makakapag import hindi ka basta basta makabili,” Fetizanan explained.

Quickly, they thought of using readily available materials that they could use asap. "Isa sa mga pumasok sa isip namin is why not use an ambu bag na currently ginagamit if you go to public hospitals," he said.

Fetizanan added that this could help hospitals limit the exposure of medical front liners who manually have to support a COVID-19 patient’s breathing with BVMs.

"‘Yung COVID, nakakahawa kasi, so kung may taong gumagamit non, at nagpu-pump non, baka mahawa. Makakadagdag pa dun sa problems nung ating mga frontliners.”

To do this, the team has built a prototype with a robot arm which, he said, can be produced via 3D printer.

If given the green light, Fetizanan said they plan to provide automated BVM to hospitals attending to COVID-19 patients.

The project is still in its early testing phase and the team is coordinating with medical experts.

They’ve also approached the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regarding the production.

“We really have to make sure that it’s safe and that it can be used through the help of medical experts,” Fetizanan said.

Nevertheless, the team has thought of a name for the automated BVM.

“Right now we’re calling it ‘Ruach.’ Nakuha namin sa Hebrew word which means ‘the breath of god’ or ‘to breathe’,” Fetiznan told Araullo.

“Sana makatulong talaga to help lalong lalo na sa mga ospital natin na medyo nagkukulang sa ventilators and yung mga nagaantay habang nagaantay, they can make use of this automated ambu bag upang makatulong sa paghinga,” he added.

Some of the Philippines’ best and well-equipped hospitals have already reached the maximum capacity for patients experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.

The government has bared plans to extend the current Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine period as the death toll rose to 96 as of Wednesday, while 2,311 have tested positive. — Margaret Claire Layug/LA, GMA News