Simple and easy to build mechanical ventilator for pandemic health crises in resource-limited areas
Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical shortages of mechanical ventilators, particularly in low-resource settings. Disruptions in global supply chains and dependence on specialized components highlighted the need for scalable, locally manufacturing alternatives for emergency respiratory support.AimTo describe and evaluate a simplified mechanical ventilator with minimal supply-chain dependence, assembled from widely available automotive and simple hardware components, and intended as a last-resort solution.MethodsThe ventilator is based on a reciprocating air pump driven by an automotive windshield wiper motor coupled to parallel shaft bellows and readily assembled passive membrane valves, only requiring materials available from standard hardware retailers, minimal tools, and basic manual skills. Ventilator performance was assessed through bench testing using a patient model simulating severe lung disease in an adult (R = 20 cmH₂O·s/L, C = 15 mL/cmH₂O) and pediatric (R = 50 cmH₂O·s/L, C = 10 mL/cmH₂O) patients. Realistic proof of concept was performed in four mechanically ventilated 50-kg healthy pigs.ResultsAccording to the bench test, the device delivered tidal volumes up to 600 mL and respiratory rates up to 45 breaths/min with PEEP up to 10 cmH₂O, covering most pediatric and adult ventilation ranges. The in vivo proof-of-concept showed that the ventilator maintained arterial blood gases within the targeted range. Technical details for ventilator construction are provided in an open-source video tutorial.DiscussionNotwithstanding its limitations, this low-cost ventilator demonstrated adequate performance as a prototype. Although not a substitute for commercial intensive care ventilators, its simplicity, autonomy, and low dependence from fragile supply chains provides an approach towards life-saving options in resource-constrained emergency scenarios.
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BibTeX
@article{farre2026simple,
title = {{Simple and easy to build mechanical ventilator for pandemic health crises in resource-limited areas}},
author = {Ramon Farré and Raffaella Salama and Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro and Kasra Kiarostami and Laia Fernández-Barat and Viviane De Cassia Oliveira and Antoni Torres and Núria Farré and Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan and David Gozal and Jorge Otero},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1855214},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1855214},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Simple and easy to build mechanical ventilator for pandemic health crises in resource-limited areas
AU - Ramon Farré
AU - Raffaella Salama
AU - Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro
AU - Kasra Kiarostami
AU - Laia Fernández-Barat
AU - Viviane De Cassia Oliveira
AU - Antoni Torres
AU - Núria Farré
AU - Anh Tuan Dinh-Xuan
AU - David Gozal
AU - Jorge Otero
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1855214
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1855214
AB - BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical shortages of mechanical ventilators, particularly in low-resource settings. Disruptions in global supply chains and dependence on specialized components highlighted the need for scalable, locally manufacturing alternatives for emergency respiratory support.AimTo describe and evaluate a simplified mechanical ventilator with minimal supply-chain dependence, assembled from widely available automotive and simple hardware components, and intended as a last-resort solution.MethodsThe ventilator is based on a reciprocating air pump driven by an automotive windshield wiper motor coupled to parallel shaft bellows and readily assembled passive membrane valves, only requiring materials available from standard hardware retailers, minimal tools, and basic manual skills. Ventilator performance was assessed through bench testing using a patient model simulating severe lung disease in an adult (R = 20 cmH₂O·s/L, C = 15 mL/cmH₂O) and pediatric (R = 50 cmH₂O·s/L, C = 10 mL/cmH₂O) patients. Realistic proof of concept was performed in four mechanically ventilated 50-kg healthy pigs.ResultsAccording to the bench test, the device delivered tidal volumes up to 600 mL and respiratory rates up to 45 breaths/min with PEEP up to 10 cmH₂O, covering most pediatric and adult ventilation ranges. The in vivo proof-of-concept showed that the ventilator maintained arterial blood gases within the targeted range. Technical details for ventilator construction are provided in an open-source video tutorial.DiscussionNotwithstanding its limitations, this low-cost ventilator demonstrated adequate performance as a prototype. Although not a substitute for commercial intensive care ventilators, its simplicity, autonomy, and low dependence from fragile supply chains provides an approach towards life-saving options in resource-constrained emergency scenarios.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -