GEMÜ is supporting the development of a new system, which will double existing ventilation capacities by enabling two patients to use the same ventilator, with a pragmatic solution.
The Institute for Manufacturing of Cambridge (IfM), which is part of the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, and the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge are collaborating to develop a method for splitting a ventilator’s airflow so that two COVID-19 patients can be treated simultaneously with one ventilator. Such a device would make it possible to double the capacities for the safe ventilation of patients for short periods.
The IfM has developed a read-out meter, which makes it possible to measure the tidal volume for each patient in real-time and monitor both the overall pressure and the airflow on the device. The individual fine adjustment of the airflow for each patient requires valves that can ensure the air/oxygen mixture is precisely metered and are also easily accessible.
To find a solution for these two challenges, the scientists collaborated with specialists from valve manufacturer GEMÜ. These specialists calculated the optimum flow rates for the air/oxygen mixture and recommended that the GEMÜ C67 valves in the nominal size DN8 be used, as these valves allow for high airflow and simultaneously provide good manual controllability thanks to their low flow resistance. The design of the GEMÜ valves also plays an important role, as the handwheels are the only parts of the newly developed device located outside the housing, allowing doctors to individually adjust the airflow for each patient.