An enhanced version of the ApolloBVM designed byRice University engineers has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an emergency resuscitator for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The device, as further developed by the Houston manufacturerStewart & Stevenson Healthcare Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of Kirby Corporation, is designed to deliver air to the lungs of adult patients who require ventilation while they await the availability of a full ventilator.
The manufactured version, dubbed Apollo ABVM, is a sturdy and portable system the company believes can be rapidly deployed in emergencies during the EUA period.
Open-source plans for Rice’s ApolloBVM remain online and available to the maker community. The plans have been downloaded by nearly 3,000 registered participants in 115 countries.
“The COVID-19 pandemic pushed staff, students, and clinical partners to complete a novel design for the ApolloBVM in the weeks following the initial local cases,” says Maria Oden, a professor of bioengineering at Rice and director of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK). “We are thrilled that the device has received FDA EUA.”
Development began in 2018 when a Houston emergency physician, Rohith Malya, brought his idea for a bag valve mask automation device to students at the OEDK at Rice’s Brown School of Engineering. The students designed and built a device that would squeeze a standard bag for hours on end, potentially saving lives.
A video produced by Rice as the students neared graduation in 2019 caught the attention of health professionals around the world last March, spurring a Rice team of staff engineers and one student, along with Malya, to revisit the “Take A Breather” device.
Working around the clock for weeks, the small team, alone in the OEDK during the initial pandemic lockdown, toughened the device and added safety features for use in a medical setting, a process continued by Stewart & Stevenson, which licensed ApolloBVM in April.
“The FDA authorization represents an important milestone achievement for the Apollo ABVM program,” says Joe Reniers, president of Kirby Distribution and Services. “We can now commence manufacturing and distribution of this low-cost device to the front lines, providing health care professionals with a sturdy and portable ventilation device for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Several manufacturing sites supported the effort, including manufacturing plants in Oklahoma City and Houston. “It is a testimony to the flexibility of our people and our manufacturing facilities that we are able to readily utilize operations to support COVID-19 related needs,” Reniers says.
ExOne
ExOne launches app to monitor industrial 3D printers
Industry 4.0 app provides real-time machine monitoring, analysis of production 3D printers.
The ExOne Company has launched ExOne Scout, a secure Industry 4.0 app that provides real-time machine monitoring and analysis of production 3D printers on a wide range of digital devices, including smart phones and watches.
Now available for download in the Apple App Store and on Google Play, the Scout app is part of a feature-rich web-based program that can deliver push notifications to smart devices about job status, printhead speed, fluid levels, temperature, humidity, and other actionable manufacturing data.
Scout is currently designed for use with two ExOne production 3D printers enabled by Siemens MindSphere, an Internet-of-Things operating system with multilayered security:
S-Max Pro sand 3D printer, used for the production of sand molds and cores for metalcasting parts in the aerospace, automotive, agricultural, defense, and other industries
X1 160Pro metal 3D printer, currently in production and slated to begin shipping to industrial customers by year-end
Users will now be able to connect these MindSphere-powered 3D printers to Scout in order to simplify machine monitoring, receive real-time insights and benefit from enhanced quality assurance and analysis.
“ExOne Scout is an important step forward as we work to deliver on our vision for smart and sustainable 3D printing technology at production volumes,” says John Hartner, ExOne CEO. “We plan to surround our high-speed binder jet 3D printers with a complete end-to-end digital workflow in the future. While our 3D printers remain the centerpiece, we’re looking to streamline the entire sequence of digital manufacturing around our systems with automation, software and remote monitoring and controls. ExOne Scout is a step toward delivering a complete digital manufacturing package.”
Future Scout releases are slated to enable layer monitoring and analysis by camera, as well as other artificial intelligence and analysis features.
Shop-floor connectivity
Register now for this free webinar Thurs. Aug. 27, 2020 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM EDT.
Shop-floor connectivity continues to revolutionize manufacturing from high-volume, low-mix facilities down to lot-size-one shops. Digitally connected machine tools, motion systems, metrology systems, robots, Industry 4.0 technologies, and expanded use of machine vision have become critical in allowing shops to gain real-time visibility on product performance. Connected manufacturers are now better equipped to make prediction outcomes and adjust operations to changing conditions. During our roundtable event, hear from a panel of experts who will discuss trends and answer readers’ specific questions concerning shop-floor connectivity.
Topics will include:
How software, metrology, networking, and automation can cut costs and boost uptime
How to tackle challenges and define opportunities within your digital transformation
The human-machine partnership
Leveraging collected data to improve performance
How Industry 4.0/IIoT can help you prepare for the future
Fullerton Tool Company, a U.S. solid carbide tool manufacturer, and Haimer USA, a market leader in tool holding technology, have signed a U.S. licensing agreement for Haimer’s patented Safe-Lock anti-pullout system.
“We are very happy to have formed a partnership with Fullerton Tool. Fullerton’s precision-made tooling is well suited for the Haimer Safe-Lock system,” says Brendt Holden, president of Haimer USA. “Fullerton customers will welcome the added security and inherent balance and precision of the Safe-Lock System that will allow them to increase their shop’s productivity.”
At Fullerton,customers were realizing that increased productivity would reduce overall costs. With the use of Safe-Lock, customers feel comfort knowing that their tools are secure and will not pull out and potentially scrap a part.
“Fullerton Tool is excited to partner up with a world class tool holder company like Haimer,” says Patrick Curry, president of Fullerton Tool Company. “The combination of Fullerton Tools’ Advance Performance End Mills and Haimer Safe-Lock is a proved solution for our customers who have challenging machining applications.”
Since its creation, the Safe-Lock system has continued to grow rapidly in the U.S. market across all industrial sectors. The success of the system has largely been fueled by its popularity as more and more manufacturers recognize increased productivity due to the pull-out protection Safe-Lock provides. Safe-Lock, which emerged from the requirements of heavy-duty machining, initially made a name for itself in the aerospace and energy industries. However, cost and time savings are not solely restricted to typical aerospace applications and have also been found in typical milling applications. In particular, the increase in customers using the modern high efficiency dynamic milling strategies available from the CAM software companies have found Safe-Lock to be an absolute necessity.
Munich Re and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Winners announced in Give a Breath Challenge
In March the Give a Breath Challenge set out to identify the best designs and blueprints to enable the immediate and decentralized production of emergency ventilation equipment.
In the face of the corona pandemic, Munich Re and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft launched a challenge with the aim of pooling the most capable minds to alleviate the consequences for those severely affected all around the world.
In March the Give a Breath Challenge set out to identify the best designs and blueprints to enable the immediate and decentralized production of emergency ventilation equipment.
The challenge was equipped with a budget of more than €1 million for prize purses and a realization fund. We received many excellent ideas and seven teams made it into the shortlist to refine and finalize their designs.
The winners’ equipment: versatile, inexpensive, multi-purpose More than 150 project designs were submitted worldwide. Seven teams were selected for the final in April and received support for the manufacture of prototypes. In mid-July, the prototypes were examined by experts at the ETH Zürich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich) and Prof. Dr. Dieter Köhler, former president of the German Society for Pneumology (DGP), who applied internationally recognized testing methodologies. The jury determined the winners on the basis of their findings.
Now the way is paved for 3D-manufacturing of the best designs to combat the consequences of an COVID-19 infection. A pilot will be kicked off in South Africa together with the Stellenbosch University and the Tygreberg Hospital in Cape Town among others.
The Challenge was divided into three sub-challenges: 1) for non-invasive ventilators and O2 concentrator devices; 2) for respiratory masks for non-invasive ventilation; and 3) for education or training for additional workers drafted in to help.
The machine has some special features that make it particularly suitable for COVID-19 patients.
Challenge I: First prize – SmartCPAP The SmartCPAP team together with AC Aircontrols GmbH developed a non-invasive ventilator that can be produced inexpensively anywhere and used in a wide range of conditions. The machine has some special features that make it particularly suitable for COVID-19 patients. For example, it assists patients very flexibly and spontaneously with breathing both in and out, thereby providing support for as long as possible without intubation so that intensive-care beds can be kept free for more serious cases. The SmartCPAP can work with oxygen from various different sources and also has features that save oxygen – an important aspect in a crisis in which oxygen is a rare commodity.
The O2 concentrator can supply up to six patients with oxygen at the same time.
Challenge I: First prize – Vivid Breath The Vivid Breath team also received an award in this category. Vivid Breath developed an exceptionally inexpensive respirator system comprising an O2 concentrator and a ventilator. It offers various possibilities for ventilation and other purposes in addition to its current use for Covid-19 patients. The O2 concentrator can supply up to six patients with oxygen at the same time. The materials and components required can be procured easily or manufactured locally using a 3D printer.
Challenge II: First prize – Soteria The Soteria team was the winner in the respiratory mask category. A 3D printer is also all that is needed to produce a Soteria mask. Due to its innovative internal honeycomb structure, it can be adapted flexibly to different shapes and sizes of face, enabling it to be sealed very effectively. It can also be used for many different types of ventilator. Assembly instructions with illustrations and a video tutorial help ensure that it can be quickly introduced.
Challenge III: First prize – Virus Fighter´s Handbook The Virus Fighter’s Handbook was the winner in the training material category. A team from the Project Group for Automation in Medicine and Biotechnology (PAMB) at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing, Engineering and Automation (IPA) worked with experts from Festo SE & Co. KG and doctors from a number of clinics to develop the design of a digital manual based on an existing app. Registered users receive information via the app on the use and maintenance of the newly developed equipment, with specific information provided on treating COVID-19 patients.
Equipment to be piloted in South Africa The digital blueprints for the ventilators and masks, including information on their manufacture, assembly and use, are to be made available to governments and partners throughout the world to enable them to be produced and used locally. The digital handbook for the treatment of Covid-19 patients will also be globally accessible via an app. This approach will enable severely affected regions to receive support more quickly and independently of international supply chains.
A plan for working with Stellenbosch University in South Africa to pilot the equipment designed has already been developed. Discussions on piloting are currently taking place with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, the Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, the Centre for Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing in Bloemfontein and the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform (FIP) at Stellenbosch University. Over the next few weeks, the necessary clinical studies and functional tests are to be carried out to enable the equipment to be approved by the South African authorities.
Support group from industry and science Munich Re and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft would like to thank not only those taking part in the Challenge, but also the experts from industry and science who contributed their expertise on the jury and in various consultations, and agreed to further assistance being provided via the knowledge and networks at their companies.
If you are interested in implementing one of the solutions in your country or organization please get in contact with our team.
Posted by Elizabeth Engler Modic
