Spanish engineers manufacture 3D printed medical ventilators for COVID-19 patients
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E-mail Xinhua, March 25, 2020
BARCELONA, Spain, March 24 (Xinhua) -- A group of some 100 Spanish engineers are using 3D printing technology to manufacture 50 to 100 medical ventilators a day for patients with the coronavirus, Barcelona Zona Franca Consortium (CZFB) announced on Tuesday.
CZFB, Home Electronics News HP, Leitat Technological Center and SEAT auto manufacturer have joined forces to produce ventilators using 3D printers.
The ventilator they are producing is a low-cost emergency ventilator to supply hospitals treating patients affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, CZFB Special State Delegate Pere Navarro told Xinhua.
The ventilator, named Leitat 1, has been medically validated by Lluis Blanch, the director of innovation at the Parc Tauli hospital in Sabadell and expert in mechanical ventilation, local media reported.
Navarro estimated that between 50 to 100 ventilators will be produced per day by the end of this week, before scaling up production to up to 300 respirators a day.
The ventilators can be produced so rapidly because they are less complex than those used in intensive care units, allowing a patient to breathe air under constant pressure for three or four days.
The idea for this project started in a Telegram channel conversation between engineers and research centers brainstorming ideas on how to alleviate the coronavirus crisis in Spain.
The "Coronavirus Makers" group designed an initial prototype of an emergency ventilators to help hospitals struggling to provide care to all patients due to shortage of materials and equipment.
Production started on Monday at CZFB, which has recently set up an incubator for companies dedicated to 3D printing.
HP equipment will be provided and aerospace corporation Airbus and shipbuilding company Navantia have also offered their collaboration in order to amplify production and reach the 300 a day target, Navarro said.
The "Coronavirus Makers" group has shared and made available the code of the initial prototype and is mobilizing people and entities to join the project to provide the 3D printing machines that produce the ventilators. Enditem
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