Robotics

Design of functionally just-sufficient critical healthcare equipment

Project Principal Investigator(s): Sachit Rao

The current COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the requirement of large numbers of critical healthcare devices, such as ventilators. More importantly, the shortage of such devices is becoming stark every day. Although efforts are being made to ramp-up production of such devices, in the Indian context, it may be difficult to source many of the components of such devices. With this background, this project aims to identify critical healthcare devices, that may need to be used in large numbers and in varying environmental conditions, for instance, in unsterile, dusty, and temperature-varying environments. Post the identification, the project will focus on:

1. How such the design of such devices can be distilled so that just-sufficient functionality is maintained.
2. The development of a strategy by which equilibrium can be established between the range of applicable healthcare scenarios and the design of a minimal viable product which will address these scenarios.
3. How the parts for such devices can be manufactured indigenously taking into account diverse Indian conditions, lower costs, and ability to ramp-up production of these parts.
4. The design of testing criteria and protocols for the Indian context.

For more information: http://covidindiaventilators.com/