Ongoing COSMIC Projects
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Bubble Helmet
One primary challenge that hospitals face is that they are unable to treat even mild-moderate status patients with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) methods safely as they pose the risk of aerosolization, thus spreading the virus. Thus, we are developing a helmet-based NIV method that can address the weaknesses of other non-invasive ventilation methods.
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Oxygen Concentrator
The goal of this project is to design a cost-efficient oxygen concentrator which can service up to 20 COVID patients in a temporary field hospital, or to supplement the oxygen system of an existing hospital. It should be made and maintained from readily available materials.
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Algae Rebreather
Development of a Rebreather circuit, using photosynthetic algae to transform CO2 into Oxygen for off-grid and remote communities.
Past COSMIC Projects
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gVent
A unique, air pressure and gravity driven ventilator. Advantages include the ability to deliver a constant pressure, with built in pressure relief.
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Snorkel Mask
Provider snorkel mask (PPE): to adapt a snorkel mask by attaching a filter in order for these masks to be used by providers in the face of shortage of N95 respirators and face shields.
Patient snorkel mask: to be used in COVID-19 patients requiring non-invasive ventilatory support (high flow oxygen, CPAP, BiPAP) while mitigating the risk of virus aerosolization.
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Bag Valve Mask
Design a low-cost (<$500) ventilator based on squeezing a bag valve mask. Leverage existing global efforts with a focus on a Lower Mainland supply chain.
Fluidic BiPAP
A BIPAP breathing system is helpful to patients who are able to breath spontaneously at a self-controlled rate, but whose overall pulmonary function is deficient. Most BIPAP devices are expensive and are in short supply. A fluidic valve can be used to provide a BIPAP system but those developed to date require a relative high pressure of compressed air, which can be difficult to obtain. We were developing a low pressure fluidic BIPAP valve that could be used with COSMIC Medical's Clinical Respiratory System to provide this breathing assistance at low-cost and outside of a hospital environment.
Clinical Respiratory Support
The Emergency Air Management System (EAMS) supply unit will provide a pressurized air manifold and a vacuum manifold for a large number of COVID-19 patients in temporary field hospitals. The system is designed to be constructed with readily available construction materials. It will provide patients with respiratory support that would be equivalent to what they would normally get via the use of CPAP and BIPAP. It provides an additional advantage beyond CPAP and BIPAP because it extracts COVID-19 contaminated aerosolized particles and thereby reduces the risk of infection to the medical staff. The exhaust extraction process of the EAMS is likely more efficacious than even CPAP and BIPAP machines that have been augmented with HEPA filters.
For more information, please see the Respiratory Clinical Support Project presentation.
Control Systems
Design a feedback and control system usable for different types of ventilators, capable of sensing inspiratory and expiratory pressures and controlling the ventilator actuators.