A neurosurgeon and a robotics engineer from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have given people who need ventilator support, for different reasons, hope and respite from hefty bills. They have developed an advanced portable ventilator which is equipped with a tablet and will cost ten to twenty times lower than those available in the market.
According to a report in the Indian Express, AIIMS is the first medical institute in the national capital to successfully use it on patients. “This ventilator’s home version will cost patients around Rs 35,000 as they don’t need a tablet. They can connect it on their android phones. The family of a patient is being trained on how to use it and they are excited to take the patient back home,” Dr Deepak Aggarwal, co-inventor of the device and professor of neurosciences at AIIMS was quoted as saying by IE.
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The report adds that the device runs on minimum electricity. Its power requirement is equivalent that of just two tube lights, i.e. 100 watts. Talking to Indian Express, Professor Diwakar Vaish, co-inventor of the ventilator and robotics scientist said, “These ventilators can run without the help of any special technician”.
The patient-friendly, portable ventilator has a shape like that of a bluetooth speaker. The device automatically detects breathing pattern. If there is a problem, it has a feature to alert the attendant/s. Cost of the advanced version of this portable ventilator starts from Rs 45,000. It has a fixed tablet displaying vitals such as pulse, blood pressure, etc. The device will also help hospitals and medical institutes meet the shortage of beds. Many patients who are on ventilators continue to stay in hospitals because their families cannot afford a traditional life-saving ventilator for home.
