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:
Legions of cybersecurity volunteers rally to protect hospitals during COVID-19 crisis
https://www.csoonline.com/article/3539319/legions-of-cybersecurity-volunteers-rally-to-protect-hospitals-during-covid-19-crisis.html
The COVID-19 Cyber Threat Intelligence League and other groups cooperate with the industry, law enforcement, and the government to prevent attacks on healthcare providers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SPEE3D’s 3D Printing Technology Can Coat Surfaces in Copper to Kill SARS-CoV-2 Within Five Hours
https://www.hackster.io/news/spee3d-s-3d-printing-technology-can-coat-surfaces-in-copper-to-kill-sars-cov-2-within-five-hours-fa618f45c275
Company’s cold-print technology allows existing metal parts to be coated in antimicrobial copper in minutes, or printed from scratch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
University of Toronto engineers developed a Raspberry Pi device to help healthcare workers check on COVID-19 patients remotely.
https://www.hackster.io/news/covid-19-patient-monitoring-with-raspberry-pi-94f93de01af8
A computer ‘the size of a credit card’ could help doctors monitor COVID-19 patients remotely
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/u-of-t-covid-19-monitoring-system-1.5540089
Tomi Engdahl says:
now this is cool. copyrights ain’t gonna save lives but these guys can:
COVID #coronavirus #biomed
Hospital Technicians Ignore Copyright Law to Fight COVID-19
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OuF9C4wdtAk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lawmakers warn coronavirus contact-tracing is ripe for abusive surveillance
https://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-warn-coronavirus-contact-tracing-110029995.html
It is a big promise from Silicon Valley to a nation looking for ways to be freed from home confinement: Smartphones could discreetly detect those who may have COVID-19 and nudge them to quarantine, blunting renewed outbreaks as Americans start to once again venture out.
But as tech firms lay the foundation for a potentially massive digital contact-tracing infrastructure, Washington is grappling with whether such technology can work without becoming a hulking, invasive surveillance system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fighting COVID-19: Engineers Answer the Call
Sponsored by Digi-Key: As the coronavirus pervades throughout the world, ventilators have quickly become short in supply. It’s put engineering teams on notice to come up with solutions, and they’re delivering.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/covid-19/article/21129366/fighting-covid19-engineers-answer-the-call?code=DigiKey1-04242020&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=31557&utm_medium=email&elq2=6f9f3fe1259448c7ab92d3fd672bce7d&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tukes jyrähtää: Älä käytä otsonointia koronan torjuntaan – jopa hengenvaarallista
https://www.iltalehti.fi/koronavirus/a/e74720cd-630a-4a99-855d-e32ae7719a72
Otsonaattoreita eli otsonikaasua tuottavia laitteistoja kaupataan tällä hetkellä aktiivisesti koronaviruksen ja muiden mikrobien torjuntaan, kertoo Turvallisuus- ja kemikaalivirasto (Tukes) tiedotteessaan.
Tukes muistuttaa, että otsonoinnin tehokkuudesta koronavirusta vastaan ei ole tutkimusnäyttöä.
– Osa otsonaattoreista tuottaa otsonikaasua niin tehokkaasti, että laitteet voivat olla asiantuntemattoman henkilön käsissä hengenvaarallisia. Turvallisinta on, jos otsonaattoreita käyttävät vain ammattilaiset ja tarvittavat varotoimenpiteet huomioidaan.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mount Sinai Turns Hundreds of Machines for Sleep Apnea into Hospital Ventilators, Shares Instructions Worldwide
https://health.mountsinai.org/blog/mount-sinai-turns-hundreds-of-machines-for-sleep-apnea-into-hospital-ventilators-shares-instructions-worldwide/
Jailbreak your CPAP machine with Airbreak
https://airbreak.dev/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/tekoaly-nimesi-kolme-oiretta-jotka-ennustavat-vakavaa-koronatautia-tulos-yllatti-tutkijatkin/7789006
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Google Plans to Push Its Coronavirus Tracing Feature to Android Phones
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/dygbmj/how-google-coronavirus-contact-tracing-feature-update
Android has a notoriously patchy update cycle, so Google is using another method to push a new coronavirus tracing feature to phones without user interaction.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Cyberpunk Catches COVID-19 Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Say “Yes” to Surveillance
https://www.cyberpunks.com/a-cyberpunk-catches-covid-19/
David Rutland was infected with COVID-19 and lived to tell the tale. Read how he’s coming to terms with the “sweet” surrender of government surveillance in the age of pandemic
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://airbreak.dev/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Akara Robotics Turns TurtleBot Into Autonomous UV Disinfecting Robot
https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/medical-robots/akara-robotics-turtlebot-autonomous-uv-disinfecting-robot
UV disinfection is one of the few areas where autonomous robots can be immediately and uniquely helpful during the COVID pandemic. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of these robots to fulfill demand right now, and although companies are working hard to build them, it takes a substantial amount of time to develop the hardware, software, operational knowledge, and integration experience required to make a robotic disinfection system work in a hospital
Autonomous Robots Are Helping Kill Coronavirus in Hospitals
https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/medical-robots/autonomous-robots-are-helping-kill-coronavirus-in-hospitals
UVD Robots is a Danish company making robots that are able to disinfect patient rooms and operating theaters in hospitals. They’re able to disinfect pretty much anything you point them at—each robot is a mobile array of powerful short wavelength ultraviolet-C (UVC) lights that emit enough energy to literally shred the DNA or RNA of any microorganisms that have the misfortune of being exposed to them.
The company’s robots have been operating in China for the past two or three weeks, and UVD Robots CEO Per Juul Nielsen says they are sending more to China as fast as they can.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and theee University Hospital Gregorio Marañón have developed a new ventilator prototype for intensive care units in the fight against COVID-19.
Development of a new ventilator prototype for the ICU against COVID-19
https://www.uc3m.es/ss/Satellite/UC3MInstitucional/en/Detalle/Comunicacion_C/1371289487456/1371215537949/Development_of_a_new_ventilator_prototype_for_the_ICU_against_COVID-19
Researchers and technicians from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the University Hospital Gregorio Marañón (HGUGM) have designed and developed a new ventilator prototype for Intensive Care Units (ICU) in the fight against the health crisis caused by COVID-19. The assembly of two units has just been completed in order to start animal tests and homologation processes.
Tests and validations using the prototypes on pigs will begin and, at the same time, the homologation process of the Community of Madrid, in accordance with current regulations and following procedures established by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare Equipment. With the actual operation of the first ventilator units, the EC Marking will also be advanced, which will extend their international homologation and will allow these products to remain and be useful in our healthcare system once the current emergency situation is finished.
This project can contribute to the creation of a national industry with a certain production capacity and autonomy to respond to needs such as those today. Especially in the face of new waves of the virus, which are a definite possibility until a large-scale vaccine has been created.
Tomi Engdahl says:
To help with COVID-19 treatment, a team from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed a ventilator in just 37 days. This device, called VITAL, recently underwent testing at Mount Sinai Hospital.
NASA Has Designed and Built a Prototype High-Pressure Ventilator for Coronavirus Treatment
https://www.hackster.io/news/nasa-has-designed-and-built-a-prototype-high-pressure-ventilator-for-coronavirus-treatment-4d770f160481
To help with COVID-19 treatment, a team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed a ventilator that recently underwent testing.
NASA Develops COVID-19 Prototype Ventilator in 37 Days
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=7646
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Have Figured Out The Best Materials to Use if You’re Making a Mask at Home
JACINTA BOWLER27 APRIL 2020
https://www.sciencealert.com/if-you-re-making-your-own-mask-at-home-researchers-show-the-best-materials-to-use
Depending on who you ask and where you are, wearing a mask can be an important part of the strategy to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
With the CDC recommending surgical and N95 masks should be kept for medical personnel on the front line, if you do want or need a mask, you should be purchasing or making a cloth one.
But when looking at cloth masks, which materials work best for keeping your germs in and other people’s germs out?
Researchers from the Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago in the United States have taken a variety of common materials and tested them in laboratory conditions – investigating their mechanical and electrostatic filtration properties.
The team found that multiple layers and mixing up fabrics worked best to filter particles, but improper mask fit can ruin the whole thing.
“Overall, we find that combinations of various commonly available fabrics used in cloth masks can potentially provide significant protection against the transmission of aerosol particles.”
The team found that ‘hybrid’ fabrics (aka layering multiple materials) were able to filter the vast majority of particles.
“Filtration efficiencies of the hybrids (such as cotton–silk, cotton–chiffon, cotton–flannel) was >80 percent (for particles 90 percent (for particles >300 nanometres),” the researchers write.
“We speculate that the enhanced performance of the hybrids is likely due to the combined effect of mechanical and electrostatic-based filtration.”
Mechanical filtration is just the fabric physically catching the particles – the team found that with fabrics such as cotton, high thread count works the best. The smaller the holes, the fewer large particles can escape.
Electrostatic-based filtration is a little different. Think of a super static-y material such as polyester.
But this all comes to nothing if you don’t wear your mask correctly.
“Our studies also imply that gaps (as caused by an improper fit of the mask) can result in over a 60 percent decrease in the filtration efficiency,”
Aerosol Filtration Efficiency of Common Fabrics Used in Respiratory Cloth Masks
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.0c03252
Tomi Engdahl says:
Volunteer Efforts Vet N95 Cleaning Methods
The need to protect clinicians has driven efforts to identify safe ways to re-use disposable respirators.
https://www.mddionline.com/volunteer-efforts-vet-n95-cleaning-methods?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=12999&elq_cid=876648
As the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic began making itself apparent to the healthcare industry, sterilization expert Amit Gupta began getting phone calls from concerned clinician friends.
“I have a number of friends who are doctors who work in hospitals,” Gupta, the director of engineering at Billerica, MA-based Consolidated Sterilizer Systems, said. “And, as mask supply started entering the forefront of thoughts of healthcare workers, some of my friends started reaching out to me, asking if they could sterilize the masks.
As the magnitude of the shortage of N95 respirators became more widely known, Gupta said he and his colleagues decided to widen their effort to provide information on what worked and what didn’t in sterilizing masks meant to be disposable beyond their own steam autoclave technology. The company’s blog includes posts on several mask de-contamination methods and safety practices.
“We decided to focus not just on steam sterilization, but all the different methodologies people might have available to them, and address it as a public safety FYI instead of an ‘our technology’ FYI.”
And, though FDA has issued more EUAs as the PPE shortage has endured, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are giving the decontamination procedures at best a lukewarm blessing: “CDC and NIOSH do not recommend that FFRs (filtering facepiece respirators) be decontaminated and then reused as standard care,” the agency said on its related web page. “This practice would be inconsistent with their approved use, but we understand in times of crisis, this option may need to be considered when FFR shortages exist.”
Decontamination, Disinfection & Sterilization: What You Need to Know
https://consteril.com/disinfection-vs-sterilization/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for ventilators has skyrocketed with traditional manufacturers unable to keep up. Because of this, teams from around the world are looking for alternatives and creating ventilators using Arduino! In our new blog series, we’ll be taking a look at some of these open source devices: https://bit.ly/2VPzIU8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Checking In On Relatives Using Old Android Tablets
https://hackaday.com/2020/04/25/checking-in-on-relatives-using-old-android-tablets/
With social distancing it can be harder to stay in touch with our relatives, especially those who are elderly and not particularly tech-savvy. Looking for a solution to that end for his own grandmother, [Steve] came up with the idea of using an inexpensive used tablet and a mobile data plan in order to mail her a “video phone” that works out of the box.
Mail a “Video Phone” to a COVID-isolated senior
https://hackaday.io/project/171101-mail-a-video-phone-to-a-covid-isolated-senior
Convert an Android tablet into an easy-to-use “video phone” for a parent/grandparent isolated by COVID.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tech for good during COVID-19: Therapy for nurses, baby food, and an online diary
https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/26/tech-for-good-during-covid-19-therapy-for-nurses-baby-food-and-an-online-diary/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The COVID-19 Detect & Protect Challenge
Win up to $25,000 in prizes!
https://www.hackster.io/contests/UNDPCOVID19
THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ANNOUNCES THE COVID-19 DETECT AND PROTECT CHALLENGE.
The UNDP is calling on Hackster’s global community to support developing countries through the sharing and transfer of open source technology. This challenge has three priority actions:
Design replicable, low-cost tools and resources to aid viral detection
Flatten the curve in communities with preventive solutions
Reduce the disease’s impact on the economies of these vulnerable areas
This extraordinary global situation demands a global response. As an answer, the UNDP Global Centre for Technology, Innovation and Sustainable Development and Hackster.io are joining forces with the world’s brightest technology companies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Winning Combination of the Month: Ventilator System
Renesas’ complementary product portfolios provide solutions that help our customers accelerate their designs to get to market faster.
The COVID‑19 pandemic has created havoc globally, putting more and more people in hospitals. Doctors, universities, and corporations from all over the globe have united in offering solutions to shortfalls created by this pandemic. Renesas is also helping this cause by providing a modern ventilator solution capable of operating in a home and in hospital settings.
Ventilator System
https://www.renesas.com/us/en/solutions/healthcare/clinical/ventilator-system.html?utm_campaign=winning_combos&utm_source=eloqua&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ventilator_system
The COVID-19 pandemic has created havoc globally, putting more and more people in hospitals. The demand for ventilators is so high that doctors are creating makeshift ventilators to meet the demand. Many companies are contributing to the cause in various ways, including opening up their IPs. Renesas is also helping this global cause by designing ready-to-assemble electronic boards for ventilators.
This is a ventilator system reference design to provide a portable ventilator used in hallway or non-ICU use cases. This machine can provide high pressure oxygen to patients in assist control and pressure control modes. The assist control mode provides a certain tidal volume of gas to a patient with each inhale. The flow sensor (FS1023) would monitor the gas flow rate at the inhale tube and the tidal volume would be calculated by the MCU using the rate integrated with time. The oxygen valve would be controlled by the MCU and manage the oxygen ratio. The pressure control mode provides a certain pressure to the patient with each inhale. There is one proximal air pressure sensor connected to the mask to monitor the inhale pressure and send that information to the RX23W MCU. The blower, which provides pressure and blows air into the system, is driven by a motor control board that is controlled by the RX23T MCU. It uses I2C communication with the RX23W. A humidifier is added to the system to provide moist gas to the patient.
The system is using two MCUs for higher safety, so these devices can monitor and reset each other.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Continuing on with our open source ventilator blog series! This week, La Hora Maker’s César Garcia takes a look at the different phases involved in developing one of these devices.
Emergency ventilators: from ideation to manufacturing
https://blog.arduino.cc/2020/04/30/emergency-ventilators-from-ideation-to-manufacturing/
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT Media Lab researchers are developing a low-cost thermal processing unit for COVID-19 RT-LAMP testing and diagnostics entirely within the home.
HomeLAMP
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/homelamp/overview/
HomeLAMP demonstrates the design and prototyping of a low-cost thermal processing unit for COVID-19 RT-LAMP testing and diagnostics entirely within the home, as well as other possibilities for low-cost, widely-distributed home testing solutions.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US until the end of April, 5.5 million tests were performed in total [via the Covid Tracking Project]. In order to re-open the economy and allow safe re-entry into public life, testing will need to scale up by orders of magnitude, to reach between 1 and 10 million tests per week [various sources].
HomeLAMP seeks to test whether simple tests that are performed in centralized commercial lab settings can be modified to work at home, at a lower cost and with fewer logistical challenges
Tomi Engdahl says:
NVIDIA’s top scientist develops open-source ventilator that can be built with $400 in readily-available parts
https://tcrn.ch/2VR6F3H
NVIDIA Chief Scientist Bill Dally has released an open-source ventilator hardware design he developed in order to address the shortage resulting from the global coronavirus pandemic. The mechanical ventilator design developed by Dally can be assembled quickly, using off-the-shelf parts with a total cost of around $400 – making it an accessible and affordable alternative to traditional, dedicated ventilators which can cost $20,000 or more.
OP-Vent
A Simple, Open-Source Ventilator using a Proportional Solenoid Valve
http://op-vent.stanford.edu/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Does it work properly? Has it been developed while working with pulmonary specialists? Is it certified to runs a 1000+ hours and are the parts all certified not to outgas something dangerous? AND while the number of ventilators has been important, one of the larger problems is do we have enough techs, nurses, and docs to operate them? Do we have the medicines and support fluids to support them? Is any of that included here? A ventilator if set up incorrectly for a patient with ARDS can do far more damage than good. Sometimes new solutions are not seen, but do expert engineers in the profession of supplying such devices likely to miss things they can use?
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/news/an-open-source-ventilator-powered-by-raspberry-pi-and-arduino-goes-into-testing-in-colombia-6c3f04b1ca94
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.oiretutka.fi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://thecoronavirusindex.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.ft.com/content/a26fbf7e-48f8-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build a Raspberry Pi-Based UV-C Chamber to Kill Coronavirus
Redditor Prophet_90091 has used a Raspberry Pi to create a UV-C decontamination chamber for small objects.
https://www.hackster.io/news/build-a-raspberry-pi-based-uv-c-chamber-to-kill-coronavirus-cf69ea6a7441
Tomi Engdahl says:
UNDP and Hackster.io partner to launch a global innovation challenge to tackle COVID-19
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/news-centre/news/2020/undp-and-hackster-io-partner-to-launch-a-global-innovation-chall.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
When Government Fails, Makers Come to the Rescue
Need masks and face shields? You got it. A network of tinkerers comes in handy when lives are on the line and the authorities are asleep at the wheel.
https://www.wired.com/story/when-government-fails-mask-makers-rescue/
Tomi Engdahl says:
These Are The Best Fabrics To Use For Your Cloth Masks, According To Researchers
http://on.forbes.com/61881AP8o
Colorful DIY fabric face masks. New research published by the American Chemical Society and conducted by University of Chicago scientists suggests that fabric type plays a role in filtration efficiency.
While many states in the U.S. report that efforts to “flatten the curve” are working, scientists warn we should brace for COVID-19 related impacts until at least 2021. Still, some government leaders have shown a cautious optimism for the summer. In the hardest hit state, New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo recently outlined a plan to begin “reopening” in mid-May.
Despite other uncertainties, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend all people wear cloth face masks when in public, reserving surgical masks and N95’s for healthcare workers. However, when it comes to filtering out airborne particles, not all fabrics were created equal. New research published in ACS Nano, a journal by the American Chemical Society, suggests a combination of cotton with natural silk or chiffon makes for the most effective mask.
For their research, the University of Chicago scientists tested a variety of fabrics including flannel, cotton, polyester, synthetic and natural silk, and chiffon. To test the filtration effectiveness of each fabric, the researchers used a fan to blow aerosol consisting of particles 10 nanometers to six micrometers in size at a resting respiration rate across the cloth samples. They then measured the size and number of particles remaining in air after passing through the fabric as compared to before.
When each fabric was used in a single layer, high thread count cotton performed the best with a filtration efficiency of around 80% for particles larger than 300 nanometers. However, the fabric samples performed even better when layered, especially in hybrid combinations. One layer of cotton with two layers of silk was effective at filtering greater than 90% of particles larger than 300 nanometers. The results of combining one layer of cotton with two layers of chiffon or one layer of flannel were similar.
The scientists believe the high efficiency of hybrid fabrics is due to combined mechanical and electrostatic filtration. For example, while tightly woven cotton prevents particles from passing through gaps in the fibers, silk provides an electrostatic charge which traps particles.
Though fabric plays a role mask effectiveness, the most important thing to keep in mind when choosing or making a face mask is fit. Improperly fitting masks which left gaps for leakage decreased filtration efficiency over 60 percent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tech for good during COVID-19: Sky-high gifts, extra help, and chips
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/03/tech-for-good-during-covid-19-sky-high-gifts-extra-help-and-chips/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Koronavirustartuntoja jäljittävän sovelluksen testaaminen alkaa
Suomessa samalla yhteiseurooppalaisen ratkaisun löytäminen näyttää yhä
vaikeammalta
https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-11332842
Koronavirustartuntojen jäljittävän puhelinsovelluksen testaaminen
käynnistyy tässä kuussa Suomessa. Vaasan keskussairaalassa
toteutettavassa pilottihankkeessa selvitetään, miten hyvin puhelimien
Bluetooth-teknologia selviää lähikontaktien kartoituksesta. Sosiaali-
ja terveysministeriö on arvioinut, että altistumisia jäljittävä
sovellus voisi olla käytettävissä kesäkuussa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-open-source-ventilator-design-165732445.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cudGl2aS5maS91dXRpc2V0L3R2LzBkMmJkOTE1LTI3OTQtNGJkYS05YzRhLTg1NTg3YTk3ZDYxNQ&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKhXl8VqG9LHDEw8cYKrxDvFjZOCivKHk5uBdeo0yS2cSkp3D1WW9Dke5lKnStVLA5X_rnj_wMxtjlWhGmz9rnpKk7CY7Y1qOEFns2NyYf2O1buhZt1fRLViZfMPpzxTNv5de6FFX-oGSi5Jtf34U9-VgkKhyvLdRhBAb0FSyyKe
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coronavirus: Here are 4 ways to make your own facemask
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/05/face-mask-diy-health-pandemic
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, and lockdown measures are being lifted, some governments have advised citizens to create their own face coverings.
Research has found the most effective homemade masks were made with double-layer, high-quality, heavyweight “quilter’s cotton” cotton.
As face masks are in high demand, if you are using one for personal and non-essential protection, here are 4 masks you could make at home.
Slowing the spread
Like other coronaviruses, the newly identified SARS-CoV-2 is being transmitted from person-to-person via airborne droplets when an infected person breathes out, coughs or sneezes.
A mask can stop virus particles spreading from an infected person. Wider use could stop the spread of the virus from those who have no symptoms or have not begun to experience symptoms.
The most effective face covering to block the transmission of the novel coronavirus is the N95 respirator mask, according to at least one study. With those in short supply and reserved for protecting healthcare professionals, many people have turned to homemade masks to protect themselves and others.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Two IEEE members are working on separate projects to improve the tech used in thermal imaging cameras to help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Thermal Cameras Are Being Outfitted to Detect Fever and Conduct Contact Tracing for COVID-19
https://spectrum.ieee.org/news-from-around-ieee/the-institute/ieee-member-news/thermal-cameras-are-being-outfitted-to-detect-fever-and-conduct-contact-tracing-for-covid19
Thermal imaging cameras, which use thermography, are a fast, contactless, and reliable method to detect a fever, a common symptom of COVID-19. Two IEEE members, one in Spain and the other in Switzerland, are working on separate projects that improve the technology used in these cameras so they can be used in places such as airports, hospitals, factories, office buildings, restaurants, and stores to provide fast individual screenings to help stop the spread of the virus.
De Grino says thermographic cameras used in the healthcare field must meet specific standards. For example, the screening technology must have a high thermal resolution and a measurement accuracy of +/- 0.5 ºC. Several manufacturers of these cameras are not following those requirements, he says, so his company is developing software for them that does.
“It wasn’t easy to develop a solution that met the requirements of the technical standard for fever screening using thermal cameras,” de Grino says.
The software will be tested in cameras made by FLIR Systems, a leading manufacturer of thermographic cameras. FLIR has several models that, when paired with his company’s bcbTempScan software, meet the international standards. The cameras have infrared temperature sensors and motorized focus, which are controlled by the software’s system operator.
The software uses GigE Vision and Genlcam, de Grino says. GigE Vision is an interface standard that can transmit high-speed video and related control data over an Ethernet connection. Genlcam is a common programming interface used for machine vision in cameras.
BcbTempScan is connected to the camera through a computer. When checking a person, the camera’s operator will see a detailed temperature pattern, called a thermogram and an alarm will sound if EBT is detected, de Grino says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ProCam : Privacy-friendly infrared camera
A low-cost camera system that can track individuals with high body temperature while preserving their privacy
https://devpost.com/software/privacy-aware-monitoring-of-people-with-high-temperature
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mass Mask-Making Masterclass
https://hackaday.com/2020/05/02/mass-mask-making-masterclass/
Just as 3D printers around the world have been churning out face shields, the thread injectors of home sewists have been stitching up fabric masks. Over the past several weeks, [Becky Stern] has made them for friends, family, neighbors, and anyone in her community who happens upon the box of free masks she’s left at a nearby bus stop. This is in addition the scores she has made and donated to health care workers so they can extend the life of their N95 masks.
If you’re going to make more than a few of anything, it just makes sense to make multiples at the same time and adjust the process for batch production. [Becky Stern] has some great ideas for ramping up assembly even further that include cutting out multiple main mask pieces at the same time, and ironing the pleats of several masks round robin style so you don’t waste time while they cool.
Make Many Fabric Masks at Home
https://www.instructables.com/id/Make-Many-Fabric-Masks-at-Home/
Tomi Engdahl says:
ShockBIT
A Cheap Disposable PPE Device for low to moderate risk areas
https://hackaday.io/project/170429-shockbit
ShockBIT is (2) small disposable electronic devices that attaches to a users wrists and will monitor hand motion and when the hand position is close to face (Above the shoulders) will emit a small, harmless electrical pulses (no more than 1 Second) to that wrist or Vibrational Stimulus. This electrical pulse or small vibration is intended to silently alert user that their hands are in close proximity to the face. ShockBIT is design for easy to use user experience to lightly remind users to refrain from unnecessarily touching their mouth, nose, and eyes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Vaccine Factory Inside You: RNA Vaccine Basics
https://hackaday.com/2020/05/04/the-vaccine-factory-inside-you-rna-vaccine-basics/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Darrell Etherington / TechCrunch:
Apple and Google release sample code, UI screenshots, detailed policies for COVID-19 exposure notification apps, including prohibiting location data collection — Apple and Google are providing additional resources for developers working with the first version of their Exposure Notification API …
Apple and Google release sample code, UI and detailed policies for COVID-19 exposure-notification apps
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/04/apple-and-google-release-sample-code-and-detailed-policies-for-covid-19-exposure-notification-apps/?tpcc=ECTW2020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Expedited Samples & Prioritized Orders for Applications Combating COVID-19
https://www.cuidevices.com/supporting-medical-designs?utm_medium=paid-advertising&utm_source=design-news&utm_campaign=supporting-medical-designs&utm_content=newsletter-text&utm_term=supporting-medical-designs-organic-page&utm_campaigntype=company&utm_campaignid=43935.664224537&ADTRK=CUIDevices&elq_mid=13067&elq_cid=876648
Tomi Engdahl says:
NASA’s ‘VITAL’ Ventilator Gets FDA Approval
https://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/tb/stories/blog/36790?utm_source=TB_Main_News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20200505&oly_enc_id=2460E0071134A8V
Some of the dozens of engineers involved in creating a ventilator prototype specially targeted to coronavirus disease patients at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. Called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), the prototype was created in 37 days in March and April 2020.
As part of the NASA@Work program, the agency is calling for ideas to support the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Over 250 ideas were received and 3 of the top ideas, including our ventilator project, were showcased to the POTUS last Friday,” said Alkalai.
On April 21, prior to the FDA’s review, the pneumatic VITAL prototype passed a critical test at Mount Sinai.
JPL delivered a prototype of the device to the Human Simulation Lab in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Mount Sinai for additional testing.
Levin, director of the lab and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Preoperative and Pain Medicine, and Genetics and Genomics Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine, was pleased with the results.
“The NASA prototype performed as expected under a wide variety of simulated patient conditions,” said Levin . “The team feels confident that the VITAL ventilator will be able to safely ventilate patients suffering from COVID-19 both here in the United States and throughout the world.”
Like all ventilators, VITAL requires patients to be sedated and an oxygen tube inserted into their airway to breathe. The new device would not replace current hospital ventilators, which can last years and are built to address a broader range of medical issues. Instead, VITAL is intended to last three to four months.
The ventilator prototype for coronavirus patients, designed and built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. (Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The secondary ventilator design, which features the compressor, is scheduled to be tested at UCLA Medical School in just less than 2 weeks, on May 11th.
The FDA authorization is a key milestone in a process that exemplifies the best of what government can do in a time of crisis, according to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine.
“This ventilator is one of countless examples of how taxpayer investments in space exploration – the skills, expertise and knowledge collected over decades of pushing boundaries and achieving firsts for humanity – translate into advancements that improve life on Earth,” said Bridenstine.
The Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships at Caltech, which manages JPL for NASA, is offering a free license
https://medeng.jpl.nasa.gov/covid-19/ventilator/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mike Murphy / Protocol:
3D-printing companies have stepped in to help plug gaps in the supply chain during the pandemic, including HP, which has printed and shipped 50,000+ items
3D printing finally found its market, and all it took was a pandemic
When COVID-19 disrupted supply chains, 3D printing stepped in to fill the gap. Will it stick around once the dust has settled?
https://www.protocol.com/3d-printing-found-market-in-coronavirus-pandemic
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tech Companies Still Fighting COVID-19
Technology companies are bringing their expertise to the fight against coronavirus. This week we saw even more companies contributing to the effort.
https://www.designnews.com/automation-motion-control/tech-companies-still-fighting-covid-19%20?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=13084&elq_cid=876648
The State of the Top 10 Manufacturing States in the Time of COVID-19
https://www.designnews.com/medical/state-top-10-manufacturing-states-time-covid-19/95481529862959?ADTRK=InformaMarkets&elq_mid=13084&elq_cid=876648
Tomi Engdahl says:
“It takes a lot of work, having a certain attitude, and keeping the conversation going…”
EU-Startups recently caught up with David Cuartielles to chat about Arduino, creating an open source movement, and his role in the CoronavirusMakers initiative.
https://www.eu-startups.com/2020/05/it-takes-a-lot-of-work-and-having-a-certain-attitude-interview-with-arduinos-ceo-and-coronavirusmakers-david-cuartielles/
This time I had the opportunity to speak with David Cuartielles, co-founder of Arduino, an open-source electronics platform, which enables users to create interactive electronic objects. Arduino has grown into a company with over 200+ employees and has bases in Malmo, Budapest and Italy. On top of that, David is also a professor at the Malmo University, teaching interactive technologies at bachelor, master, and PhD levels.
A man of many hats, David has somehow managed to find time to be one of the minds behind Coronavirus Makers, a citizen-driven initiative, where people collaborate on a voluntary basis to solve the protective equipment shortage using 3D printing.