The eSpiro Ventilator: An Open-Source Response to a Worldwide Pandemic

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Device Development
• Open-Source Technology

Background:

• Ventilator shortages pose a significant challenge in critical care settings.
• The need for accessible and low-cost mechanical ventilation solutions is paramount.
• Open-source hardware initiatives offer potential solutions for medical equipment accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a freely replicable, open-source hardware ventilator.
• To address the critical issue of ventilator shortages through accessible technology.
• To ensure the reliability of a novel ventilator design for patient care.

Main Methods:

• A bench study was conducted in a dedicated research room within a university hospital's ICU.
• The eSpiro ventilator's performance was evaluated using the ASL5000 lung model.
• The lung model simulated diverse respiratory mechanics with varying resistance and compliance.

Main Results:

• Testing covered 27 different conditions, with all tidal volume measurements within ±10% limits.
• Tidal volume error was influenced by mechanical conditions and PEEP levels, but clinically insignificant.
• Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) error was not significantly affected by mechanical conditions, demonstrating device reliability.

Conclusions:

• A low-cost, easy-to-build ventilator (eSpiro) has been developed.
• The eSpiro ventilator demonstrates reliability in delivering accurate tidal volume and PEEP.
• This open-source solution is suitable for passive invasive mechanical ventilation.