This bench study utilized standard hospital equipment for ventilator splitting. Installing a tracheal tube and Hoffman clamp to the existing ventilator can achieve safe tidal volume and airway pressure for both test lungs with low (0.02 l.cmH2O^-1) and high (0.04 l.cmH2O^-1) compliances. However, further clinical studies are recommended before implementing the device on COVID-19 patients.

Ventilator Splitting Proposal #1 for COVID-19

Due to the urgent, time-critical demand for medical ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, engineers proposed various ventilator-splitting designs. However, ventilator splitting generally lacks standardized regulations and extensive testing, requiring careful design and clinical evaluation.

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Due to ventilator shortages across the nation, biomedical engineers have been developing more efficient designs for medical ventilators and investigating alternative solutions to deliver oxygen to COVID-19 patients experiencing respiratory failure.

- Ventilator Splitting Design Proposals

- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)


Medical Ventilator Alternatives for COVID-19

ECMO is a bypass machine which allows the heart and lungs to rest by pumping and oxygenating blood outside the body. This method may be considered for patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 who are unresponsive to medical ventilators. However, there is lack of experience and constructive guidelines for using ECMO for COVID-19 induced ARDS. 

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