Hospitalized patients often require ventilators that are not only in shortage in South Africa but are sometimes overly complex for doctors to navigate. For this reason, Duncan Stevenson decided to utilise his engineering skills in the battle against Covid-19 virus.
He created a ventilator that is both affordable and intuitive.“You can’t wait for the world to save you,” he says. Sometimes you’ve got to take a deep breath and do it yourself,” said Stevenson.
After several trials in his garage, he finally devised a user-friendly ventilator he could share with the world but he needed support. After a few months searching online, Stevenson found a group of dedicated doctors, scientists, and paramedics. Through their corporation FluidIQ, the novel instrument was further developed.
Stevenson and his team have since built a life-saving tool – the HOPE inVent. This pragmatic ventilator was inspired by the Army Emergency Respirator which was originally created in the 1950s. The ventilator required no electronics and provided treatment for respiratory issues.
Today, Stevenson’s new and improved invention is a 3D-printable product and the smallest single-patient ventilator. It’s cost-efficient and can be readily deployed, giving it the potential to safeguard lives worldwide.
