Baxter Ventilator

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The Baxter Ventilator is a revolutionary device designed specifically to address a critical shortage of ventilators during pandemics. When pandemic conditions strike, mass production and supply chains for ventilators may grind to a halt, leaving medical professionals scrambling for components and market failures limiting availability. The Baxter Ventilator was engineered to be built using readily available parts and by individuals with limited skills in remote locations. By following step-by-step assembly instructions and video tutorials similar to IKEA, an individual can assemble the ventilator within four to eight hours using only basic hand tools. These simple yet robust ventilators can be individually built for approximately $2,500 at retail prices, including the cost of a 3D printer, with production models potentially costing between $500 and $1,000. The Baxter Ventilator is perfectly suited for use in both modern hospitals and emergency field settings. As it generates its own pressure, the device does not require pressurized air or oxygen. A power outlet is all that's needed to operate it, and if desired, oxygen tanks can be easily mounted. If power is disrupted, the Baxter Ventilator can run on backup power for over 90 minutes. All control and operational power are supplied at low, non-hazardous voltages. The Baxter Ventilator provides both controlled and assisted ventilation modes. In controlled mode, the operator can specify volume-controlled continuous mandatory ventilation (VC-CMV) or pressure-controlled continuous mandatory ventilation (PC-CMV). In assisted mode, the operator can set up pressure-support ventilation (PSV) or volume-support ventilation (VSV) and choose synchronized intermittent-mandatory ventilation (SIMV). The design of this ventilator is based on a large pneumatic cylinder driven by a motor via a belt and pulley system. The control software synthesizes sensor measurements and user inputs into a schedule that determines piston location and speed, providing the patient with the desired rate and volume of air. The control software is built on Python subroutines that communicate with a graphical user interface (touch screen) through an inter-process communication framework provided by the ZeroMQ library. Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), peak inspiratory pressure (PIP), and fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) are controlled manually but monitored by the software. The Baxter Ventilator features numerous mechanical and software redundancies and alarms to ensure safe operation. The current prototype was evaluated on both a Gaumard HAL S3201 patient simulator and a QuickLung, and monitored by ADInstruments' PowerLab DAQ. The prototype met the target criteria and produced results similar to industry-standard ventilators across a range of settings and various ventilation modes. More importantly, the Baxter Ventilator proved to be highly repeatable, creating almost identical breaths during ventilation at all settings. Additionally, the Baxter Ventilator was easily tuned to produce different ventilation output by adjusting the motor profiles. Repeatability and tunability allow the Baxter Ventilator to be configured to meet the needs of clinicians.