MEDICAL
IMR also focussed
on breathing assist
modes to help with
the essential task of
weaning patients off
IMR TAKES
THE INITIATIVE
22 » JULY 2020 » WWW.MADEIN.IE
making it ideal for use ‘in the fi eld’. The
rapid build ventilator is based on a dual
supply of compressed air and oxygen
delivered at a specifi ed mix, fl ow, and
pressure.
It can also be produced at a lower cost
making it aff ordable for COVID-19
response teams and healthcare
organisations in emerging or developing
markets which are now becoming
epicentres for COVID-19. These markets
will be a key target for the delivery of the
EirVent. IMR also developed the
Irish Manufacturing Research
(IMR), co-funded as part
of Enterprise Ireland’s
Technology Centre Program,
has been working on innovative
responses to the global demand
for life-saving ventilators. Having started
work on COVID-19 initiatives at the very
start of the pandemic, IMR is helping to
research and develop two new ventilator
systems in collaboration with leading
European and US-based organisations.
IMR, Artesyn Biosolutions, local Irish
company Airpower, and one of the top
global experts in ventilators, Steve
Tunnell, based in San Diego, have now
completed the fi rst unit ready for
shipment for testing in the US this week.
This system is intended to be a
‘battlefi eld’ Ventilator called EirVent.
EirVent is portable with no moving
parts and minimal power requirements
Mullingar-based Irish
Manufacturing Research
has helped to research two
initiatives in collaboration with
European and US organisations.
full ventilation
hardware and software for the controls
and GUI using the IMR Industrial IoT
(IIoT) platform.
Once approval for use is granted, the
team will work with manufacturing
partners to scale production to meet the
needs especially in developing regions of
the world.
The second system, which IMR is
developing in partnership with
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and Malone Group, works on the
principle of compressing an AMBU bag
in a controlled manner directly to a
patient requiring ventilation.
The AMBU bag ventilator was
developed over the past 12 weeks, led by
Tim Noone, Group Projects Director at
Malone Group, and the team worked to
design-build a device that can deliver
the basic clinical requirements of
ventilation.
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