Towards an open-source hardware and appropriable emergency hospital : analysis and first prototype of a medical aspirator

Details

Supervisors

Bol, David ; Herman, Benoît

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain
Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil électromécanicien, à finalité spécialisée: mécatronique
Master [120] : ingénieur civil biomédical, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

We all remember the COVID-19 crisis, during which a significant number of patients urgently needed ventilators. However, the demand exceeded the available supply, leading to a shortage. Some individuals lost their lives not just due to the virus but also due to the lack of medical devices. This crisis unveiled healthcare system vulnerabilities and triggered the need to rethink medical devices. Open-source hardware emerged as a viable solution to this problem. It offers the availability of critical medical devices during crises, as well as enhancing healthcare accessibility and affordability in underserved regions of the world. In line with this approach, the non-profit organization Open MedTech was established, focusing on developing open-source medical devices. This study contributes to Open MedTech's mission by presenting the conception of a first prototype for an open-source medical aspirator (also called medical suction pump). This device was chosen following a selection methodology to establish a list of the priority medical devices. The medical aspirator, a vital emergency device, aids in clearing airways and enhancing visibility during surgeries by the removal of excess bodily fluids. The prototype demonstrates promising performance comparable to commercially available devices and adheres to international technical standards. Further research and improvements are needed to realise a fully-fledged open-source medical device, available worldwide for free. This work was made possible through donations collected during a fundraising campaign launched by the Louvain Foundation in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic for the development and distribution of open-source medical devices. All materials and resources essential for the prototype production and testing are available on Forge UCLouvain in the OpenMedTech group: https://forge.uclouvain.be/openmedtech/medical-aspirator