Coronavirus India Update: AIIMS Rishikesh-IIT Roorkee Develop Low-Cost, Portable ICU Ventilator

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Rishikesh and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee have jointly developed a low-cost, portable, safe and easily manufacturable ICU ventilator. 

Named Prana-Vayu, this device applies contactless wireless features to monitor patients fighting Coronavirus infection.

As per an official statement by AIIMS Rishikesh, “The Prana-Vayu ventilator which is specially designed to keep the cost low and at the same time to incorporate all the features of an advanced ICU ventilator in it. 

AIIMS Rishikesh has called this ventilator successful in terms of medical technology after due testing done in various Medical Conditions.”

Research Team Updates: Prana-Vayu

The research team included Debendra Tripathy, Anaesthesiology Department, AIIMS Rishikesh, and Prof. Akshay Dvivedi and Prof. Arup Kumar Das, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, IIT Roorkee.

Akshay Dvivedi, Coordinator, Tinkering Laboratory, IIT Roorkee, “Prana-Vayu has been designed especially for COVID-19 pandemic. It is low-cost, safe, reliable, and can be quickly manufactured. 

We have successfully achieved the ventilatory requirement on a test lung, and it can be used for both infants and even overweight adults”. 

While the team focused on developing ICU ventilator, Debendra Tripathi of AIIMS Rishikesh supported them online. Through remote communication, they developed quick-time technology for COVID-19 patients. 

Meanwhile, research teams at IIT Roorkee were identifying antivirals for Coronavirus prevention along with Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly. 

Prana-Vayu: Detailed Features

Cutting-edge technology and high-end facilities will serve as a life support system for severe medical emergencies. The device is designed to treat a wider variety of critical illnesses and wireless monitoring is a novel approach for treatments of COVID-19 patients. 

The team had started working on the project about 2 months ago. Professor Ravikant, Director, AIIMS Rishikesh, said, “This ventilator has been developed at a time when the global pandemic is underway, and when there are not enough ventilators available for the treatment of Corona patients.”

They specifically focused on using Make In India components which led to an overall reduction in manufacturing cost. The estimated cost is Rs 25,000 for each unit. Commercial product will have dimensions of 1.5 feet * 1.5 feet for enhanced portability. 

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in India, IIT Roorkee has focused its research teams on developing technology and devices to combat this disease. Earlier, IIT Roorkee developed Antimicrobial Face-masks to combat Coronavirus. 

As per professor, Akshay Dvivedi, coordinator, Tinkering Laboratory, IIT Roorkee, the device has successfully provided ventilation for test lungs. So now it can be applied to overweight adults and infants. 

Added to the wireless facility, it functions without compressed air supply making it suitable for makeshift ICUs. 

Further, Prof Ajit K Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee stated, "Today 'Prana-Vayu' was presented to more than 450 industries in a webinar organized by CII. I am happy to share that we have received interest from multiple industries for its mass production. 

This low-cost ventilator will be highly useful for COVID-19 patients, especially when there is a shortage of ventilators”. 

Such a collaborative achievement of AIIMS Rishikesh and IIT Roorkee will aid in saving distressed patients’ lives in severe medical conditions.