In a bid to further tackle the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a team
of researchers in the University of Lagos (Unilag) has produced an
Ambuvalent ventilator.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports
that the project, known as Unilag /LASRIC Ambuvalent, was sponsored by
the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC).
The team carried out a ‘demonstration of concept’ of the project to the institution’s management on Friday.
The
team Lead, AbdulHakeem Amuda, an Associate Professor in the Department
of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, said at the demonstration
that the project was an opportunity for the scholars to prove their
mettle.
According to Amuda, the ventilator had met basic requirements as specified by the World Health Organisation.
He
said that one of the unique features of the ventilator was its ability
to work in villages not connected to the national grid, as it used
battery that could last for 13 hours, and a trolley for easy movement.
Amuda
said that the ventilator was designed to use 90 watts motor, adding
that it was made in such a way that the motor must not be needed for 24
hours daily.
He said that a critical component of the ventilator
was that of delivering compression that would inflate the lungs as well
as the micro controller system.
According to him, institutions of
higher learning are meant to proffer solutions to societal challenges,
as well as be responsive to what society needs to live a good and
healthy life.
”The journey of the development of this
UNILAG/LASRIC Ambuvent started on March 27 when a colleague of mine, Dr
Uzoma Oduah of the Department of Physics, walked up to me and muted
that, as a result of the global shortage of standard ventilators at this
period of global health crisis, it would be good if Nigeria would start
thinking ahead on what to do.
”This is because by the time the
disease would hit this country, we should not be found wanting in the
area of access to medical ventilators.
“He requested that I introduce him to an expert in respiratory track, in constituting a team.
“In
constituting the team, I did that on multidisciplinary approach, which
include physics, biomedical engineering, metallurgical and materials
engineering and others.
”I was also able to get across to the
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Development Services, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola,
who incidentally, is from the College of Medicine, and she linked us
with a respiratory track expert. That is how we hit the ground running,”
Amuda said.
He added that in constituting the team, he also
looked at the project’s objective, which was basically to develop
low-cost rapidly-deployable Ambuvalent ventilator – meaning it must be
affordable and would not need too much technicality to operate.
”Those
are our focus in this project, and because in engineering and societal
solutions, you do not need to re-invent the wheel, you only improve on
what is available; so, we tried to look at what is available.
”We
sat down and tried to figure out what we can do differently that will
make us unique; we identified three to four parameters that we needed to
work on.
”The first is that whatever we are coming up with must
not have supply chain problem. It must be something that we must be able
to source locally.
“Secondly, at any point in time, we might have power failure; so, the system must be self-sustaining.
”Thirdly,
because of lack of volunteerism in the country, the system should be
done in such a way that it would be able to operate without too much
volunteerism, and in doing all these, it would equally be affordable,”
he said.
According to Amuda, who is the Head, Innovation Unit and
Deputy Director, Research and Innovation Office, Unilag, the critical
component of the ventilator is that of delivering compression that
inflates the lungs as well as the micro controller system.
He
said that after a thorough search, it was discovered that a standard one
readily available was that of the MIT in the the U.S., which used about
100 watts motor.
”We are using 90 watts for ours; with that, we are able to save 10 per cent consumption.
“In
addition to that, our system can work both synchronously and in
isolation, such that if the case of the patient is not critical, the
system can run on a single motor.
”We designed it in such a way
that you do not need to use motor for 24 hours. The existing design that
is available all over the space is that of one motor using two arms.
“What
this means is that the two arms are linked by a connection; so, the
main motor, if faulty, translates to you not being able to use the
machine,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof.
Oluwatoyin Ogundipe. hailed the team for the innovation, which he
described as timely.
According to him, challenges are springing up in the world regularly, and universities are where the challenges can be solved.
”Our special thanks go to the Lagos State Government for believing in what we can do and sponsoring this entire project.
”We are looking forward to signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the state on this.
“The
big advantage about the project is that it will be deployed at the
grassroots, as it works with a battery, and the team is working on the
possibility of using solar,” he said.
Also, Prof. Folasade
Ogunsola, the institution’s Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development
Services), said that Nigeria could solve its problems, given the
opportunity and the right circumstances.
”We have solved
problems. This is the kind of thing that we should be doing, not just
for Nigeria as a country, but for the world at large ” she said.
Dr
John Olatisi, Consultant Intensivist at the Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, said that such a project was expected of higher institutions.
He
said that with the ambuvent, lives of those who might not be able to
breath well due to COVID-19, especially in the remote areas, could be
saved.
”We are happy; the project has been able to meet our preliminary assessment,” he said.
Prof. Lucien Chukwu, Director, Academic Planning of the institution, described the development as laudable.
He said that the ‘proof of concept’ had shown the mileage attained by the university.
”This
development will not only assist the country in the treatment of
persons with respiratory distress, but will also assist our teaching
faculties in elucidating the mechanism of addressing respiratory
distress in patients.
(NAN)
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