When the going gets critical, Promation gets going. Learn how we built a functioning ventilator prototype in three days, in response to the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
The Challenge
In response to the forecasted shortage of ventilators, Promation was contacted by the University Health Network (UHN), University of Toronto (U of T) and Mackenzie Innovation Institute (Mi²) and challenged with the task of developing a low-cost ventilator to help respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Solution
With a massive public health emergency on the horizon, we assembled a team of designers, engineers and automation experts, and got to work. Together, we designed, machined, programmed, built and tested two functioning prototypes, to ensure reliability, durability, safety and ease of use. What’s more, we did the first prototype over a weekend, delivering it to UHN on the following Monday morning for initial trials and testing, resulting in kick-off with the ICU doctor team within two weeks.
The Benefit
In response to the challenge, we designed and constructed a low-cost ventilator prototype that can be easily mass-produced. We also shared our findings and design as open source available to teams around the world to help in the global fight against COVID-19.