Prisma Develops FDA-Authorized 3D Printed Device Enabling Single Ventilator to Treat Four Patients

A looming shortage of ventilators in U.S. hospitals is already likely a crisis, but it's about to get even more dire as the number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms that require hospitalization grows in large numbers, according to a report by foreign media outlet TechCrunch. That's why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's new approval of simple hardware for emergency use-which can be obtained for free through source code and 3D printing in hospitals-could be a key factor in helping to minimize the stress on frontline medical staff.

The Prisma Health VESper is a simple-looking three-way connector, and the use of the device allows a single ventilator to be used to treat four patients. The device can be used with ventilators that comply with existing ISO standard ventilator hardware and tubing, and allows the use of filtration equipment to stop any possible spread of viruses and bacteria.

The VESper works in pairs with the device, with one connected to the ventilator's air intake and the other to the return air intake. They can also be stacked together to treat up to four patients at a time, provided the patients require the same clinical treatment.

It was designed by emergency room physician Dr. Sarah Farris, who enjoyed the concept with her husband, Ryan Farris***, a software engineer who developed the initial prototyping for 3D printing.Prisma Health is making the VESper available through its print specification upon request, but it should be noted that FDA approval for use with emergency use authorization means that this is only an effective measure to be taken as a last resort-applicable when the facility that received approval for the ventilator has exhausted it according to established FDA rules and there is no other supply or alternative that can protect the patient's life.

Devices like this FDA Emergency Use Authorization approved for clearance are fully understood to be prototypes, and the conditions of their use include the obligation to report their results in practice. This data facilitates ongoing investigation of their effectiveness and further development and refinement of their design to maximize their safety and efficacy.

In addition to offering an in-house 3D printing program, Prisma Health is also offering donations to help print devices for healthcare facilities that don't have access to their own 3D printers. The first of these will be funded by a donation from the Sargent Foundation of South Carolina, but Prisma Health is seeking other donations to fund ongoing research and additional production.

To learn more about Prisma's development of an FDA-authorized 3D printed device that allows a single ventilator to treat up to four patients, stay tuned to Deep Space's Technology section, which will continue to update you with more technology news.

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