MEXICO CITY — A shortage of ventilators has become a primary problem worldwide to help coronavirus patients with serious lung complications. But a college project developed in northern Mexico might be the solution.
Four students and two instructors from Universidad de Monterrey were inspired by an MIT project to design a low-cost, easy-to-build ventilator.
Andrés González, one of the students, said their project doesn’t replace professional ventilators but would be useful to face an overwhelming number of cases, like in Spain and Italy.
“We must be prepared for situations, if not worse, similar to that,” González said.
González said their ventilator costs less than $100 and uses easy-to-find materials, like PVC tubes.
“Ninety percent of our system is made of PVC tubing,” said González.
Their main goal is to publish a free manual to make their design available across the world.
And González says he hopes their project inspires other students to use creativity and knowledge to help those in need.
