We are living in the middle of the emergency over coronavirus all over the world. The reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on societies and economies around the world cannot be understated. Because an estimated 15% of COVID-19 patients require hospitalization and 5% require intensive care (Z. Wu and McGoogan 2020), the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has the potential of posing a substantial challenge to medical systems around the world (Remuzzi and Remuzzi 2020; Grasselli, Pesenti, and Cecconi 2020).
Necessity is the mother of invention. A need or problem encourages creative efforts to meet the need or solve the problem. This saying appears in the dialogue Republic, by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato.
“Necessity is the mother of invention” is an English-language proverb. It means, roughly, that the primary driving force for most new inventions is a need. When the need for something becomes imperative, you are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it.
Here are some examples of sort of ingenuity we need now in the middle of pandemia. Already many people contributed those efforts. Check out on those links what is already done if you can find any useful information or can contribute to those efforts you see as good idea. Start your reserach with 7 open hardware projects working to solve COVID-19 article.
I have collected here a list of interesting open hardware project and instructions that can be useful or educational. Hopefully this list I have contributed here will be useful for someone. Keep in mind that many of those ideas are potentially dangerous if the instructions are not entirely correct, implemented exactly right and used by people that know what they are doing. You have been warned: Do not try those at home yourself! We are dealing here with things that can easily injure or kill someone if improperly implemented or used – but at right place the best ideas from those could potentially save lives.
Repairing hospital equipment
The right thing to do in his situation is that medical companies to release service manuals for ALL medical equipment so they can be repaired and maintained where they are most needed.
In the face of ventilator shortages for COVID-19 victims, iFixit is looking to make maintaining and repairing equipment as easy as possible. iFixit Launches Central Repository for Hospital Equipment Repair and Maintenance Manuals
https://www.ifixit.com/News/36354/help-us-crowdsource-repair-information-for-hospital-equipment
Site http://www.frankshospitalworkshop.com offers links many service manuals
Robotics
COVID-19 pandemic prompts more robot usage worldwide article tells that the coronavirus has increased interest in robots, drones, and artificial intelligence, even as some testing of autonomous vehicles pauses on public roads. It is believed that these technologies can help deal with massive staffing shortages in healthcare, manufacturing, and supply chains; the need for “social distancing;” and diagnosis and treatment.
Here are some robotics related links that could be useful:
Medical robotics expert Guang-Zhong Yang calls for a global effort to develop new types of robots for fighting infectious diseases.
https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/medical-robots/coronavirus-pandemic-call-to-action-robotics-community
Elements of Robotics Open Access Textbook
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-62533-1
Ventilators
A ventilator is a machine designed to provide mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently. Ventilators are sometimes colloquially called “respirators”.
A ventilator, also called a respirator, is designed to provide mechanical ventilation by oxygen into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently. The machines can be used to help a person breath if they have conditions making it difficult to breathe, such as lung diseases, during and post-surgery. For patients critically ill with coronavirus access to a ventilator could be a matter of life or death.
In its simplest form, a modern positive pressure ventilator consists of a compressible air reservoir or turbine, air and oxygen supplies, a set of valves and tubes, and a disposable or reusable “patient circuit”. Modern ventilators are electronically controlled by a small embedded system to allow exact adaptation of pressure and flow characteristics to an individual patient’s needs.
They work by placing a tube in a person’s mouth, nose or small cut in the throat and connect it to a ventilator machine. The air reservoir is pneumatically compressed several times a minute to deliver room-air, or in most cases, an air/oxygen mixture to the patient.
Because failure may result in death, mechanical ventilation systems are classified as a life-critical system, and precautions must be taken to ensure that they are highly reliable. Modern commercial ventilator is a relatively complex piece of equipment with lots of components and a dedicated supply chain.
Because there is a lack of ventilators on many hospitals in several countries, there has been a lot of creative work done to help this problem.
There has been projects going on to repair old and non-working ventilators to a working conditions. For repairing some older devices, there has been problem to get spare parts from the manufacturer and that those spare parts can be very expensive. Also getting the service information for repairing those equipment seems to be hard to get from manufacturer, Ifixit has started a project Help commit industrial espionage for the greater good! to get the service information on-line at https://www.ifixit.com/News/36354/help-us-crowdsource-repair-information-for-hospital-equipment
In middle of the emergency some people have worked on to make their own spare parts when official parts are not available, thus making more devices available. For example a startup 3D-printed emergency breathing valves for COVID-19 patients at an Italian hospital in less than 6 hours. An Italian hospital that ran out of life-saving equipment for coronavirus patients was saved by a ‘hero’ engineer who used cutting-edge technology to design oxygen valves within a matter of hours. At least 10 lives were saved in this way.
So great thinking for 3d printing of valves. Are they sterilized and suitable? 3D printing has been used in numerous cases for medical parts already. Most 3D printing operates at relatively high temperatures and printed objects are actually naturally sterilized when they are made. Anyway the right kind of plastic needs to be selected and the part needs to be built in exactly right way that is works reliably as designed. If they are used and the individual gets worse, does the fact that equipment not medical certified (environment, storage, shipping, etc) put the hospital in additional jeopardy for a lawsuit? All valid questions each medical liability officer will have to address. But if people are going to literally die if you do nothing, then taking a risk with a part that you 3D print seems like an idea that is worth to try.
Links:
A startup 3D-printed emergency breathing valves for COVID-19 patients at an Italian hospital in less than 6 hours
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-italian-hospital-3d-printed-breathing-valves-covid-19-patients-2020-3?r=US&IR=T
https://it.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-manca-la-valvola-per-uno-strumento-di-rianimazione-e-noi-la-stampiamo-in-3d-accade-nellospedale-di-chiari-brescia/
Firm ‘refuses to give blueprint’ for coronavirus equipment that could save lives
https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/16/firm-refuses-give-blueprint-coronavirus-equipment-save-lives-12403815/
3D printed life-saving valves: already a dozen in operation
https://www.embodi3d.com/blogs/entry/436-3d-printed-life-saving-valves-already-a-dozen-in-operation/
Volunteers produce 3D-printed valves for life-saving coronavirus treatments
Volunteers made the valves for about $1
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/17/21184308/coronavirus-italy-medical-3d-print-valves-treatments
Another tried trick is try to use one ventilator with more than one patient. Daily Mail writes that ventilators can be modified to help FOUR coronavirus patients breathe at the same time if the NHS is still critically short of the machines when the outbreak peaks, scientists say. Here are some links to material on using one ventilator to more than one patient:
https://emcrit.org/pulmcrit/split-ventilators/
SAVING 4 PATIENTS WITH JUST 1 VENTILATOR
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/19/saving-4-patients-with-just-1-ventilator/
Here has been work going on in creating an open source ventilator design project. Here are some links to this project and some other DIY ventilator designs.
There’s A Shortage Of Ventilators For Coronavirus Patients, So This International Group Invented An Open Source Alternative That’s Being Tested Next Week
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/03/18/theres-a-shortage-of-ventilators-for-coronavirus-patients-so-this-international-group-invented-an-open-source-alternative-thats-being-tested-next-week/
Open-source Oxygen Concentrator
https://reprapltd.com/open-source-oxygen-concentrator/
https://blog.arduino.cc/2020/03/17/designing-a-low-cost-open-source-ventilator-with-arduino/
https://www.instructables.com/id/The-Pandemic-Ventilator/
Macgyvilator Mk 1 (3-19-2020) – “ventilator” for disasters and/or low resource environments
Macgyvilator Mk 1 is a disaster “ventilator”, a simple apparatus to compress a bag-valve-mask with some control over tidal volume and rate. Constructed quickly and simply using wood, PVC, velcro, common fasteners, and easily sourced and assembled electronic components.
An Arduino based Open Source Ventilator to Fight against COVID-19?
https://www.cnx-software.com/2020/03/21/an-arduino-based-open-source-ventilator-to-fight-against-covid-19/
Low-Cost Open Source Ventilator or PAPR
https://github.com/jcl5m1/ventilator
Low-cost Ventilators
https://procrastineering.blogspot.com/2020/03/low-cost-ventilators.html
Arduino Respirator Prototype (pen source solution from Reesistencia Team, which is undergoing testing)
https://www.facebook.com/official.arduino/videos/2557115014604392/
OxyGEN project
https://oxygen.protofy.xyz
“OxyGEN is an open hardware project to build an emergency mechanism that automates an AMBU type manual ventilator in extreme shortage situations such as the one caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) in some parts of the world.”
NOTE: Take a look at the expression VILI before thinking about trying one of these. It is hard making a ventilator that doesn’t harm the lungs. It is easy to get Ventilator-associated lung injury or die if the ventilator does not work exactly correctly all the time.
Testing for infection
There are many approaches thought to be helpful to finding out if someone is infected or something is contaminated.
Thermal scanners are effective in detecting people who have developed a fever (i.e. have a higher than normal body temperature) because of infection with the new coronavirus. However, they cannot detect people who are infected but are not yet sick with fever (it can take 2-10 days before infected people get the fewer).
Open-Source Collaboration Tackles COVID-19 Testing
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/10/open-source-collaboration-tackles-covid-19-testing/
Low-cost & Open-Source Covid19 Detection kits
https://app.jogl.io/project/118?
This Open Source Device Can Detect Coronavirus on Surfaces
The Chai team has developed a detection test that works with their Open qPCR tool.
https://www.hackster.io/news/this-open-source-device-can-detect-coronavirus-on-surfaces-3da1d7b1c73a
Prevent touching face
It is recommended to stop touching your face to minimize spread of coronavirus and other germs. People touch their faces frequently. They wipe their eyes, scratch their noses, bite their nails and twirl their mustaches.
Not touching your face is a simple way to protect yourself from COVID-19, but it’s not easy. If you can reduce face-touching, you can lower people’s chances of catching COVID-19. Why is it so hard to stop? Face-touching rewards us by relieving momentary discomforts like itches and muscle tension.
If you you want to change, you can try to replace it with a competing response that opposes the muscle movements needed to touch your face. When you feel the urge to touch your face, you can clench your fists, sit on your hands, press your palms onto the tops of your thighs or stretch your arms straight down at your sides. Some sources recommend object manipulation, in which you occupy your hands with something else. You can rub your fingertips, fiddle with a pen or squeeze a stress ball.
Related links:
This pair of Arduino glasses stops you from touching your face
https://blog.arduino.cc/2020/03/10/this-pair-of-arduino-glasses-stops-you-from-touching-your-face/
Don’t Touch Your Face
Don’t touch your face — easy to say, hard to do. This device, worn like a watch, will buzz whenever your hand aims for trouble.
https://www.hackster.io/mike-rigsby/don-t-touch-your-face-e8eac3
Hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer is a liquid or gel generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands. It depends on the case if hand washing with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer is preferred. For Covid-19 WHO recommends to wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly. Use alcohol-based handrub if you don’t have immediate access to soap and water.
It seems that there are many places where there is shortage of hand sanitizers. This has lead to situation where people have resorted to making their own. Recipes for DIY hand sanitizer are popping all over the internet. A quick search reveals news articles, YouTube how-to’s and step-by-step visual guides. But think twice about joining them — experts are wary and even caution against the idea. The World Health Organization even has an official guide to making hand sanitizer. But it’s intended for populations that do not have clean water or other medical-grade products in place. Don’t try to make your own hand sanitizer just because there’s a shortage from coronavirus.
Can’t get your hands on hand sanitizer? Make your own
https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/hand-sanitizer-coronavirus-make-your-own/
Photos show why hand sanitizer doesn’t work as well as soap and water to remove germs
https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-photos-why-you-should-wash-hands-with-soap-water-2020-3?amp
Emergency DIY hand sanitizers (read the description)
“Every time a new health incident occurs there’s a rush on hand sanitizers, often causing shops to sell out.
Here’s how to make some simple emergency sanitizers at home, noting that they are not as effective as just washing your hands, and only some viruses can be damaged by simple sanitizers. These options are offered as a last resort when commercial versions are not available.”
“For the alcohol one the higher the percentage of alcohol the better, up to around 70-80%.”
Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer At Home When It’s Sold Out Everywhere
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2020/03/03/make-your-own-hand-sanitizer-at-home-when-its-sold-out-everywhere/
Sanitizing things
With deadly coronavirus spreading worldwide at an alarming speed, personal hygiene has become paramount importance to contain the infection spread further. Mobile phones are known to house several germ, and if you thing they are contaminated, you should maybe disinfect them. The CDC recommends that everyone “clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day” to protect against the spread of COVID-19.
How to Disinfect Your Smartphone article says CDC recommends that for your smartphone you should use 70% rubbing alcohol or alcohol-based disinfectant spray to wipe down the back and sides of your device. For example Apple recently updated its official cleaning advice, so ccording to Apple, it’s now safe to clean your iPhone with disinfecting wipes if you do it correctly. You should not try to spray any liquid to your phone.
The other option is to use a smartphone sanitizer device that cleans using UV rays. Sanitizers that use ultraviolet (UV) rays to kill bacteria and viruses have been around for a while now and they can kill 99% of bacteria in as little as five minutes. However its efficacy hasn’t been tested against nasties like SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. Coronavirus effect: Samsung offers UV-C sanitizing service for Galaxy devices. Samsung is using Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) disinfection technology, which uses of uses short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill or inactivate bacteria, virus, molds and other pathogenic microorganisms on smartphones.
The UV-C light is capable of destroying nucleic acids and DNA. It will kill many things, but you don’t want that hitting your eye or skin. World Health Organization only states: “UV lamps should not be used to sterilize hands, or other areas of skin as UV radiation can cause skin irritation.”
Here are some UV C related links:
https://www.light-sources.com/blog/killing-bacteria-with-uv-light/
https://russellsrandomthoughts.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-gtl3-bulb-simple-and-inexpensive.html?m=1
Good UV versus bad UV. All available on eBay.
Protective masks
The protective mask ratings used by hospitals are typically N95, FFP2 or FFP3. FFP2 protection level is 94%. FFP3 protection level is 99%. N95 protection level is 95%. An N95 FFR is a type of respirator which removes particles from the air that are breathed through it. These respirators filter out at least 95% of very small (0.3 micron) particles. N95 FFRs are capable of filtering out all types of particles, including bacteria and viruses. The N95 mask is mainly for use if you already have the virus to keep it from spreading and many have argued that coronavirus is smaller than the 0.3 micron filter rating of the mask and thus, not that helpful, for people outside of healthcare. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General wants consumers to stop buying masks.
Due to the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, there has been a huge shortage of N95 masks. Promoting simple do-it-yourself masks: an urgent intervention for COVID-19 mitigation claims that widespread use of masks by the general population could be an effective strategy for slowing down the spread of COVID-19: “Since surgical masks might not become available in sufficient numbers quickly enough for general use and sufficient compliance with wearing surgical masks might not be possible everywhere, we argue that simple do-it-yourself designs or commercially available cloth masks could reduce the spread of infection at minimal costs to society”.
With masks sold out during the coronavirus outbreak, many people will have to make do with what some scientists have called “the last resort”: the DIY mask. Many people have been working on designs for a DIY mask that may be able to protect those who haven’t been able to secure their own masks. It seems that cotton homemade masks may be quite effective as alternatives and there are also other ideas. For any DIY ideas, be warned that there is no guarantee that those designs are effective. So I don’t recommend to use them as alternative to proper mask when they are available. Bit of proper marks are not available, they can be better than nothing.
Keep in mind the right filter type to use: Hepa filters do have the ability to filter particles and viruses, but they wont protect you 100% of the time. The real secret is layers. The problem is, more layers, more restriction. Keep in mind that charcoal filters will make your air fresher, but have almost no effect on cleaning the air of viruses. Coronavirus virions (or ‘particles’) are spherical particles with diameters of approximately 125 nm (0.125 microns). The smallest particles are 0.06 microns, and the largest are 0.14 microns. This means coronavirus particles are smaller than PM2.5 particles, but bigger than some dust particles and gases.
General information:
Guide to Dust Mask Ratings
https://www.seton.co.uk/your-guide-to-dust-masks-ratings
Can Masks Protect People from The Coronavirus?
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/coronavirus-pollution-masks-n95-surgical-mask/
Hengityksensuojaimet
https://www.tays.fi/fi-FI/Ohjeet/Infektioiden_torjunta/Mikrobikohtaiset_ohjeet/Hengityksensuojaimet(51207)
DIY project links:
Homemade N95 Masks In A Time Of Shortage
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/18/homemade-n95-masks-in-a-time-of-shortage/
“According to a studied performed at Cambridge University during the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, while surgical masks perform the best at capturing Bacillus atrophaeus bacteria (0.93-1.25 microns) and Bacteriophage MS virus (0.023 microns), vacuum cleaner bags, tea towels, and cotton T-shirts were not too far behind. The coronavirus is 0.1-0.2 microns, well within the range for the results of the tests.”
What Are The Best Materials for Making DIY Masks?
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/best-materials-make-diy-face-mask-virus/
“Data shows that DIY and homemade masks are effective at capturing viruses. But if forced to make our own mask, what material is best suited to make a mask? As the coronavirus spread around China, netizens reported making masks with tissue paper, kitchen towels, cotton clothing, and even oranges!”
Can DIY Masks Protect Us from Coronavirus?
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/diy-homemade-mask-protect-virus-coronavirus/
“DIY masks to protect against from viruses sounds like a crazy idea. Data shows masks work incredibly well, and they’re also really cheap. Surgical masks cost a few pennies, and they’re capable of filtering out 80% of particles down to 0.007 microns (14 times smaller than the coronavirus).”
“The homemade cotton masks captured 50% of 0.02-1 micron particles, compared with 80% for the surgical mask. Although the surgical masks captured 30% more particles, the cotton masks did surprisingly well. The researchers concluded that homemade masks would be better than nothing.”
“The Cambridge data shows that homemade masks made using cotton t-shirts can filter out some particles that are 0.02–1 microns in size. That’s pretty good, however its only one test.”
Professional and Home-Made Face Masks Reduce Exposure to Respiratory Infections among the General Population
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440799/
Can Masks Protect People from The Coronavirus?
https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/coronavirus-pollution-masks-n95-surgical-mask/
This old hack doesn’t require any cutting or sewing:
http://how2dostuff.blogspot.com/2005/11/how-to-make-ninja-mask-out-of-t-shirt.html
Copper 3D makes the free N95 mask design to fight COVID-19 pandemic spread
https://3dprintingcenter.net/2020/03/18/copper-3d-makes-the-free-n95-mask-design-to-fight-covid-19-pandemic-spread/?fbclid=IwAR2iXJD5ybU8ReADakvCyDKsfzuRDOBEWxZ3ACCjZoz2dKNwvy07htUhon4
“Copper 3D – A Chilean manufacturer of innovative antibacterial filaments designed the own version of the popular N95 protective mask and prepared it perfectly optimized for 3D printing on desktop 3D printers of the FDM / FFF type. The project is released under an open-source license and has been simultaneously patent pending to prevent other entities from commercializing it.”
“Copper 3D team quickly got to work on developing the patent for a model similar to a standard N95 mask but with some peculiarities (Antiviral, Reusable, Modular, Washable, Recyclable, Low-Cost), which were completely designed in a digital environment so that it could be downloaded anywhere in the world and 3D printed with any FDM/FFF equipment, even a low cost one. The mask was called “NanoHack”.”
#HackThePandemic site offers the technical details of the N95 mask and download set of STL files for printing on own 3D printer
https://copper3d.com/HACKTHEPANDEMIC/
SaltMask
https://robots-everywhere.com/re_wiki/pub/web/Cookbook.SaltMask.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep39956
“This is NOT a straight replacement for a N95 mask. In a real emergency it is recommended to combine a full face shield with a filter mask.”
Prusa Protective Face Shield – RC2
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-prusa-protective-face-shield-rc1
“In a real emergency it is recommended to combine a full face shield with a filter mask.”
Promoting simple do-it-yourself masks: an urgent intervention for COVID-19 mitigation
https://medium.com/@matthiassamwald/promoting-simple-do-it-yourself-masks-an-urgent-intervention-for-covid-19-mitigation-14da4100f429
“Since surgical masks might not become available in sufficient numbers quickly enough for general use and sufficient compliance with wearing surgical masks might not be possible everywhere, we argue that simple do-it-yourself designs or commercially available cloth masks could reduce the spread of infection at minimal costs to society”
“Potentially, simply wrapping a suitable, large cloth around the face is easy to implement (Fig. 2), would arguably be more socially acceptable than surgical masks, and would be superior to a complete lack of face mask use.”
1,350 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open-source project spins up 3D-printed ventilator validation prototype in just one week
https://techcrunch-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/techcrunch.com/2020/03/19/open-source-project-spins-up-3d-printed-ventilator-validation-prototype-in-just-one-week/amp/
In a great example of what can happen when smart, technically-oriented people come together in a time of need, an open-source hardware project started by a group including Irish entrepreneur Colin Keogh and Breeze Automation CEO and co-founder Gui Calavanti has produced a prototype ventilator using 3D-printed parts and readily available, inexpensive material. The ventilator prototype was designed and produced in just seven days, after the project spun up on Facebook and attracted participation from over 300 engineers, medical professionals and researchers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://labs.ripe.net/Members/becha/hackathons-in-the-time-of-corona
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ocean Reef launches adaptor to change full-face snorkel mask into COVID-19 protective mask
https://www.scubadivermag.com/ocean-reef-launches-adaptor-to-change-full-face-snorkel-mask-into-covid-19-protective-mask
Ocean Reef, which produces full-face diving and snorkelling masks, has created an adaptor which will fit to their snorkelling product and transform it into a COVID-19 protection mask.
The consumer pricing for the adaptor is planned to be purposely low to help current owners convert their snorkelling masks as inexpensively as possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Masks and the Critical Thinking – Why homemade masks really work against coronavirus
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=2_8hojsF-nY
A KEY ARGUMENT FOR USING HOMEMADE MASKS:
Homemade masks are partly effective in individual protection, but they are essential for slowing the spread of the virus in the population. The main outcome of our studies was that they stop around 95-99% of viruses that people emitting by your breath, sneezing, and coughing. People are the most contagious first days without symptoms, that’s why we need masks for all.
UPDATE: We have successfully tested the hypothesis at two main technical universities and it is highly recommended by a team of experts COVID CZECH under the coordination of the president of Czech Technical University in Prague. The team consists of a virologist, epidemiologist, doctors with specialization in population protection, chemists, and physicist with specialization if filtration. This group is an advisory expert group for the Czech government in Prague. Now it is obligatory to wear masks in the whole country.
Tomi Engdahl says:
COSV – Cam Open Source Ventilator
https://hackaday.io/project/170507-cosv-cam-open-source-ventilator
Cam based ventilator designed to fit directly on an BVM, on the patient.
This is my take for turning a bag-valve-mask into a ventilator.
Compresses the bag much like a hand would to reduce the stress on it.
Simple/robust mechanism.
Doesn’t require extending the tube from the bag to the mask which eliminates the CO2 buildup issues others are having.
Can be laser cut, or 3D printed.
Hardware is pretty done. So far you can use two different gear motors, or a Nema 23 stepper to drive this.
Electronics and sensing are sorted, but not completed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://covid-global-hackathon.devpost.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
An MIT team hopes to publish open-source designs for a low-cost ventilator
https://www.technologyreview.com/s/615374/an-mit-team-hopes-to-publish-open-source-designs-for-a-low-cost-ventilator/?utm_campaign=site_visitor.unpaid.engagement&utm_medium=tr_social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1585101623
The researchers hope that those with manufacturing capacity and medical expertise can accelerate production of the critical medical devices.
MIT researchers hope to publish open-source designs for a low-cost respirator that could potentially help COVID-19 patients struggling with critical respiratory problems.
The motorized device automatically compresses widely available bag valve masks, the sort of manual resuscitator used by ambulance crews to assist patients with breathing problems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/open-source-hardware-against-coronavirus
Tomi Engdahl says:
Face shield intended to be used with any transparent plastic sheet that may be lying around (transparency sheet, x-ray, etc.)
https://imgur.com/gallery/D79BKFx Instructions
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4240063 STL
Inspired by the Prusa face shield.
Advantages:
* No need to cut sheet precisely
* Prints fast (about twice as fast as the Prusa)
* Prints well even on misaligned printers
* Microwavable
Disadvantages:
* Not designed by a famous person, so less Instagram cred
Tomi Engdahl says:
Calling All Makers With 3D Printers: Join Critical Mission To Make Face Masks And Shields For 2020 Healthcare Workers
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2020/03/24/calling-all-makers-with-3d-printers-join-critical-mission-to-make-face-masks-and-shields-for-2020-healthcare-workers/?utm_campaign=forbes&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=Valerie/#76616c657269
After seeing the N95 shortage gripping the nation’s healthcare workers, HP Inc. and partners have mobilized to create 3D printed face mask and face shield solutions, plus a few other innovative ideas, to keep people safe during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Calling All People Who Sew And Make: You Can Help Make Masks For 2020 Healthcare Worker PPE Shortage
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2020/03/20/calling-all-people-who-sew-and-make-you-can-help-solve-2020-n95-type-mask-shortage/#78c8921a4e41
Tomi Engdahl says:
Calling all makers: Here’s a 1-page PDF facemask pattern; Now go make some and help beat this thing
https://freesewing.org/blog/facemask-frenzy/
https://www.uza.be/mondmaskers
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://freesewing.org/designs/fu/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tjmccue/2020/03/20/calling-all-people-who-sew-and-make-you-can-help-solve-2020-n95-type-mask-shortage/#70fcd4294e41
When No Facemasks Are Available, Options Include:
“Healthcare personnel (HCP) use of homemade masks:
In settings where facemasks are not available, HCP might use homemade masks (e.g., bandana, scarf) for care of patients with COVID-19 as a last resort. However, homemade masks are not considered PPE, since their capability to protect HCP is unknown. Caution should be exercised when considering this option. Homemade masks should ideally be used in combination with a face shield that covers the entire front (that extends to the chin or below) and sides of the face.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The MatterHackers initiative is called the COVID-19 Additive Manufacturing Community Response Hub and it will “connect those in the U.S. who need medical aid (Hospitals and Govt. Agencies) and those who can create it using Digital Manufacturing, for which MatterHackers has a broad base of customers to engage with.” It has been live for three days and hundreds have signed up.
https://www.matterhackers.com/covid-19
Tomi Engdahl says:
Formlabs has an impressive medical capability with its 3D printers (before COVID-19) and opened up its networks and printers to help with a tiny item of critical concern to the medical community: COVID-19 Test Kit Swabs. The site lists out several designs. :
https://formlabs.com/covid-19-response/
Tomi Engdahl says:
From Design to Mass 3D printing of Medical Shields in Three Days
https://blog.prusaprinters.org/from-design-to-mass-3d-printing-of-medical-shields-in-three-days/#_ga=2.169037285.570725039.1585084496-1232940249.1585084496
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pulitzer Center Announces New Grant for Innovative Coronavirus Reporting Collaborations
https://pulitzercenter.org/blog/pulitzer-center-announces-new-grant-innovative-coronavirus-reporting-collaborations?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=23032020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Suomalaiset tuottavat uusia aseita koronaviruksen vastaiseen taisteluun: tunnin diagnostiikkalaite pian markkinoille https://www.is.fi/taloussanomat/art-2000006450887.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
As makers, tinkerers, and hackers around the world mobilize to offer aid in combating the spread of COVID-19, noted maker Naomi Wu has raised a note of caution — warning that some ideas being floated may do more harm than good.
Naomi Wu Rasies Safety, Efficacy Concerns Over 3D-Printed Masks in the COVID-19 Fight
https://www.hackster.io/news/naomi-wu-rasies-safety-efficacy-concerns-over-3d-printed-masks-in-the-covid-19-fight-24adf2f4f1f6
Noted maker Wu instead calls for makers and hackers to sew cloth masks, 3D print face shields, and print ventilator splitters “on request.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.helsinginuutiset.fi/artikkeli/852087-itse-tehty-kangasmaski-ei-valttamatta-suojaa-lainkaan-koronalta-innokkaita
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://investinestonia.com/forbes-impressive-how-estonia-hacks-the-crisis/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=content&utm_campaign=socialmedia&utm_content=forbes-impressive-how-estonia-hacks-the-crisis
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/25/african-turns-to-mobile-payments-as-a-tool-to-curb-covid-19/?tpcc=ECFB2020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ventilators 101: What They Do And How They Work
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/25/ventilators-101-what-they-do-and-how-they-work/
Treating the most serious cases of COVID-19 calls for the use of ventilators. We’ve all heard this, and also that there is a shortage of these devices. But there is not one single type of ventilator, and that type of machine is not the only option when it comes to assisted breathing being used in treatment. Information is power and having better grasp on this topic will help us all better understand the situation.
Justin tuder says:
I pray every night that this issue will resolve. I love my life and i love my family and friends. I hope we can figure out how to stop this.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://crowdfightcovid19.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘No mask, no service’: In Vancouver, anti-coronavirus face coverings go mainstream, as fears grow over shortages for health workers
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3077373/no-mask-no-service-vancouver-anti-coronavirus-face
Once a preserve of Asian communities, mask wearing has become increasingly common in broader Vancouver, even as British Columbia’s health officer warns of ‘tenuous’ supplies for health staff.
Tomi Engdahl says:
COVID-19: Fight the global pandemic
https://developer.ibm.com/callforcode/getstarted/covid-19/
The 2020 Call for Code Global Challenge has expanded its focus to tackle the effects of COVID-19. Technology solutions can help reduce the impact this pandemic has on our daily lives and the world. We have the tools. You have the talent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aasialaiset tutkijat koronaviruksesta: “Mielestäni suurin virhe Yhdysvalloissa ja Euroopassa on, että ihmiset eivät käytä maskia”
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11281301?utm_source=facebook-share&utm_medium=social
Aasialaiset ja länsimaalaiset tutkijat ovat eri mieltä kasvomaskeista. Lopullista, tieteellistä totuutta asiaan ei saada ehkä koskaan, asiantuntija pelkää.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Not wearing masks to protect against coronavirus is a ‘big mistake,’ top Chinese scientist says
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/not-wearing-masks-protect-against-coronavirus-big-mistake-top-chinese-scientist-says
Q: What can other countries learn from the way China has approached COVID-19?
A: Social distancing is the essential strategy for the control of any infectious diseases, especially if they are respiratory infections. First, we used “nonpharmaceutical strategies,” because you don’t have any specific inhibitors or drugs and you don’t have any vaccines. Second, you have to make sure you isolate any cases. Third, close contacts should be in quarantine: We spend a lot of time trying to find all these close contacts, and to make sure they are quarantined and isolated. Fourth, suspend public gatherings. Fifth, restrict movement, which is why you have a lockdown, the cordon sanitaire in French.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tag/coronavirus
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do It Yourself Mechanical Ventilator – Covid19 Breathing Machine – Open Source Ventilator – update 3
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W4dCM6rBqrs
Tomi Engdahl says:
NIH APPROVED 3D-PRINTED FACE SHIELD DESIGN FOR HOSPITALS RUNNING OUT OF PPE
https://hackaday.com/2020/03/29/nih-approved-3d-printed-face-shield-design-for-hospitals-running-out-of-ppe/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/devices/healthcare-team-designed-3dprinted-tested-covid19-swabs-one-week
Tomi Engdahl says:
More on the ventilator hacking
MIT Will Post Free Plans Online for an Emergency Ventilator That Can Be Built for $100
https://scitechdaily.com/mit-posts-free-plans-online-for-an-emergency-ventilator-that-can-be-built-for-100/
Clinical and design considerations will be published online; goal is to support rapid scale-up of device production to alleviate hospital shortages.
One of the most pressing shortages facing hospitals during the Covid-19 emergency is a lack of ventilators. These machines can keep patients breathing when they no longer can on their own, and they can cost around $30,000 each. Now, a rapidly assembled volunteer team of engineers, physicians, computer scientists, and others, centered at MIT, is working to implement a safe, inexpensive alternative for emergency use, which could be built quickly around the world.
The team, called MIT E-Vent (for emergency ventilator), was formed on March 12, 2020, in response to the rapid spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT Will Post Free Plans Online for an Emergency Ventilator That Can Be Built for $100
https://scitechdaily.com/mit-posts-free-plans-online-for-an-emergency-ventilator-that-can-be-built-for-100/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Be careful when you innovate:
Astrophysicist gets magnets stuck up nose while inventing coronavirus device
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device
Australian Dr Daniel Reardon ended up in hospital after inserting magnets in his nostrils while building a necklace that warns you when you touch your face
“I had a part that detects magnetic fields. I thought that if I built a circuit that could detect the magnetic field, and we wore magnets on our wrists, then it could set off an alarm if you brought it too close to your face. A bit of boredom in isolation made me think of that.”
“My partner took me to the hospital that she works in because she wanted all her colleagues to laugh at me. The doctors thought it was quite funny, making comments like ‘This is an injury due to self-isolation and boredom.’”
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hardcoreitalians.blog/2020/03/25/italy-uses-3d-printing-to-help-save-lives/
Tomi Engdahl says:
They have released v3 already, and also prusa says do not share the files or copy/paste the information about the shields because they keep updating the information and masks.
They recommend to share the link instead.
https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/25857-prusa-protective-face-shield-rc3
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT Emergency Ventilator (E-Vent) Project
https://e-vent.mit.edu/
We are one of several teams who recognized the challenges faced by Italian physicians, and are working to find a solution to the anticipated global lack of ventilators. In the US alone, the COVID-19 pandemic may cause ventilator shortages on the order of 300,000-700,000 units (CDC Pandemic Response Plans). These could present on a national scale within weeks, and are already being felt in certain areas. An increase in conventional ventilator production is very likely to fall short and with significant associated cost
Tomi Engdahl says:
DEFCON 201 Hacker Resource Guide To Combat The Coronavirus Epidemi
DEFCON 201 Hacker Resource Guide To Combat The Coronavirus Epidemic
https://medium.com/@defcon201/defcon-201-hacker-resource-guide-to-combat-the-coronavirus-epidemic-b86bb0032aa0
It can be very easy alone at home in your pyjamas eating M&M’s in the shower for dinner to feel that since you are not a doctor there is nothing you can do to help.
But this is a lie.
Even sitting on your ass doing nothing, with the right resources and set up, there is plenty you can be doing that can make a HUGE impact on flattning the curve, treating sick people and saving lives
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/biomedical/devices/lessons-learned-nyc-makers-producing-personal-protective-equipment-medics
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus: Doctor explains the proper way to wash your hands and put on a face mask
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=A4qwCWwC-Oo
Six steps to wearing the N95 mask
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bo-PEzHE7iw
Tomi Engdahl says:
if you are into 3D printing…
https://www.makermask.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-013238
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.arduino.cc/covid-19
Tomi Engdahl says:
COVID-19 Related Research and Technologies Free to Access in IEEE Xplore
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-institute/ieee-news/covid19-related-research-and-technologies-free-to-access-in-ieee-xplore
IEEE realizes that many are directly or indirectly engaged in the fight against COVID-19 and its effects on global health and safety, research, infrastructure, communications, and more. IEEE has identified articles from the IEEE Xplore Digital Library that may help researchers understand and manage different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and technologies that can be leveraged to combat it.
All content in this collection is now free to access, with additional rights for all types of reuse, including full text and data mining, and analysis.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/search/searchresult.jsp?newsearch=true&queryText=%22Free%20Promotions%22:COVID-19
Tomi Engdahl says:
Onko suusuojuksista hyötyä vai ei? THL:n tutkimusprofessori: “Kun huolehditaan ensiksi siitä, että maskeja riittää lääkäreille, hoitohenkilökunnalle ja ambulanssikuskeille, niin…”
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/onko-suusuojuksista-hyotya-vai-ei-thl-n-tutkimusprofessori-kun-huolehditaan-ensiksi-siita-etta-maskeja-riittaa-laakareille-hoitohenkilokunnalle-ja-ambulanssikuskeille-niin/7775878#gs.1trns1
Työterveyslaitos suosittelee, että ehkäiset parhaiten koronavirustartuntaa pitämällä mahdollisuuksiesi mukaan 1–2 metrin etäisyyttä muihin ihmisiin sekä pesemällä kädet usein saippualla.
– Se on tietysti ihan oikein ja pätee edelleen,
Koronavirus tarttuu ensisijaisesti pisaratartuntana, kun sairastunut yskii tai aivastaa. On mahdollista, että virus tarttuu myös kosketuksen kautta. THL suosittelee kasvo- ja suusuojaimia ensisijaisesti hoitohenkilökunnalle lisäsuojaksi. Hoitohenkilökunta käyttää kirurgista suu-nenäsuojusta yleensä suojaamaan potilasta hoitajien uloshengitysilmassa mahdollisesti olevilta taudinaiheuttajilta. Yleiseen käyttöön suusuojaimia ei ole vielä laajemmin suositeltu.
– Kyllä niistä on hyötyä, vaikka se hyöty ei ole hirveän suuri, Jantunen sanoo.
On tärkeää ymmärtää, että suun ja nenän edessä pidettävä suojus ei välttämättä suojaa käyttäjäänsä ilmateitse tarttuvilta taudeilta, varsinkaan jos suojain ei täytä terveysviranomaisten asettamia standardeja. Tämän takia itse ommellut kankaiset suojaimet eivät ole kovin tehokkaita.
Itse tehty suojain ei estä saamasta koronatartuntaa, mutta se voi ainakin jonkin verran ehkäistä tartunnan leviämistä. Tosin niiden käytössä on monella vielä paljon opeteltavaa.
Aivastus ja yskäisy levittävät huomattavan määrän aerosolia ympäristöön, mutta myös pelkkä tavallinen puhuminen levittää pöpöjä uloshengitysilmassa.
– Kun virusepidemia levisi Kaukoidästä tänne meille, niin ei enää naureskeltu lentokentillä Kaukoidän matkustajille, jotka pitivät maskia naamalla, Jantunen huomauttaa.
– Viimeaikaista tietoa on tullut, että koronavirus leviäisi aerosolien välityksellä
– Kun tämä aerosoli kantaa koronavirusta, niin voi hengitysmaskista olla hyötyä sekä puhujan että kuuntelijan kasvoilla.
Ennen kaikkea kangassuojat voivat siis torjua, ettei omasta suusta lennä mitään vastapuolen kasvoille. Miksi kasvosuojaimia ei sitten käytetä yleisesti?
– Ongelma lähti siitä liikkeelle, että hengityssuojaimet loppuivat varastoista ja kaupoista kesken, koska ihmiset alkoivat hamstraamaan niitä, Jantunen kertoo.
– Kun huolehditaan ensiksi siitä, että maskeja riittää lääkäreille, hoitohenkilökunnalle ja ambulanssikuskeille, niin sen jälkeen ei ole mitään syytä estää sitä, että tavallinen kansalainen alkaa käyttämään kasvosuojainta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
– Jos maskeja käytetään yleisesti, niin se käyttö vähentäisi taudittomien kantajien levittämiä tartuntoja ihan selkeästi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How a time of crisis accelerates innovations
https://innovationcloud.com/blog/how-a-time-of-crisis-accelerates-innovations.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=blog&utm_content=innovation_in_a_time_of_crisis_sa_fi
A time of crisis calls for immediate action, adaptability and putting innovations in focus. A new challenge that the whole human race is facing now, COVID19, has forced all of us to take a step back and rethink our reality. Almost all segments of our lives are impacted by this pandemic. Some are affected directly, some indirectly. Researchers from all over the world are making huge efforts to come up with vaccines and maybe this is the time when DNA origami can step in? This crisis calls for openness, collaboration and sharing of ideas on the global level so that a solution could be discovered as fast as possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Another Emergency DIY Ventilator Has Been Developed at Rice University to Help Fight COVID-19
https://www.hackster.io/news/another-emergency-diy-ventilator-has-been-developed-at-rice-university-to-help-fight-covid-19-4c5f3d471a07
A team from Rice University has developed a device to automate the use of bag valve masks for less than $300 in parts.
In 2013, a study found that there are only 62,000 ventilators in all of the hospitals in the US. There are already nearly 200,000 cases of COVID-19 in the US, and this is just the beginning. We clearly need a way to come up with more ventilators quickly. That’s why a team from Rice University has developed a device to automate the use of bag valve masks.
Bag valve masks are far more common and affordable than automated ventilators, but they require that a trained medical professional operate them continuously. We already have a shortage of health care workers, so manually operating a bag valve mask isn’t a long term solution. Devices like this one designed at Rice University are intended to lighten the load by automatically pumping bag valve masks, which would let a single health care worker oversee the breathing assistance for numerous patients. This isn’t the first device we’ve seen that is intended for this purpose — in fact, we’ve featured quite a few of them — but more options are always better
http://oedk.rice.edu/apollobvm/