Dr. Ir. Syarif Hidayat, Mengembangkan Ventilator Darurat Bersama Aktivis Salman ITB

Amid concerns about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, a primary concern is the availability of medical aids. One such device is the ventilator. This device can help patients breathe when their lungs fail, and it's quite expensive.

Moreover, at a time like this, these devices are becoming scarce due to the high demand from hospitals. Ventilator stocks are dwindling and prices are soaring.

Dr. Ir. Syarif Hidayat, a lecturer at STEI ITB (Electricity Research Group) and a mentor for YPM Salman ITB, is currently developing a prototype for an emergency ventilator. Together with Salman ITB activists and students from various educational fields, this ventilator is expected to serve as an alternative tool for patients in emergency situations.

The prototype of this device is called Venti. VentI (Indonesian Portable Ventilator) is a breathing aid for patients with moderate-level emergencies. This device is not intended for ICU patients.

The materials used for this emergency ventilator are readily available and readily available. The components include a motor, pump, hose, fan, valve, filter, and Arduino programming.

In emergency situations when all hospital ventilators are occupied, this device is expected to be useful. Generally, this device can deliver 12-18 breaths per minute without needing to be connected to an oxygen tank.

The team is now joined by several other ITB lecturers, including Prof. Dr. Tata Dirgantara and Dr. Sandro from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FTMD) ITB, along with their students. The tool is still under development and is accepting input from various parties for further development.

A review by a team of anesthesiologists has been conducted. The device is endorsed with recommendations for improvement.