PNEUMA: Emergency ventilator

PNEUMA is an add-on device that automates the self-inflating bag, thus presenting itself as a last resort solution to ventilate patients having difficulty breathing. This field ventilator includes and enhances the main benefits of the self-inflating bag, recognised by healthcare professionals. The device is used regularly in the clinical context, but is now being adapted to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Considering the scarcity of ventilators in the actual context, INESC TEC and several other partners have been working on PNEUMA, a prototype for a low-cost and easy to assemble field ventilator, which aims to address the following demands:

• Temporary support in second and third-line hospitals:

Patients awaiting transfer to central hospitals, including patients without COVID-19.

• Scenario of moderate shortage of ventilators:

Alternative to transient invasive ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure requiring volume and respiratory rate control;

Availability of ventilators for cases that require the fine monitoring of parameters – pressure exerted, inspiratory/expiratory ratio (I:E), etc.;

• Scenario of critical shortage of ventilators:

Possible alternative in the event of the complete absence of ventilators.

Entities

Coordination

• INESC TEC – with the support by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP)

Partners

• IEP – Instituto Electrotécnico Português; INEGI – Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
• In liaison with ARS Norte
• Information reporting to INFARMED.
• Support to validation and usability tests: FMUP/CHUSJ and ICBAS/CHUP – Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto/University Hospital Centre of São João and Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences/Porto Hospital Centre
• Advisors, other support and individual participants

In-kind and institutional support

• BotnRoll
• SELT
• AIMMAP – Associação dos Industriais Metalúrgicos, Metalomecânicos e Afins de Portugal

The team responsible for the development of this ventilator are working pro bono. The results will be available as open source, in order to enable the local production of this alternative ventilator in any country.