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‘Breath of Hope’: Kerala, India’s interdisciplinary team for innovative medical solutions

Innovative response

'Breath of Hope' is a team of multidisciplinary volunteers, including IT professionals, biomedical engineers and doctors.

They have come together and been supported by the Kerala Start-up Mission (KSUM), a government-supported entrepneurship development agency. KSUM have provided raw materials and a facility at 'Super Fablab Kochi', where the group can develop their ideas.

The volunteers are working together with their joint expertise to help find crucial tech solutions to the pandemic.

Specific issues addressed and anticipated impact

This solution will help generate potentially innovative medical tech solutions that would otherwise have not been possible.

Solutions so far include a respirator apparatus and different types of masks; The respirator apparatus already has a complete prototype. It does not replace a full ventilator, but works when a patient on ventilator support is shifted for other procedures. Their ventilator replaces a a pre-existing 'ambu bag' that is manually stimulated, but their version is automated, allows for adjustment of the volumen of air, and can work according to breath per minute. KSUM have said that if the apparatus gets approval, it can then be mass produced.

Organisations/institutions involved

Kerala Start-up Mission (KSUM), a government-supported entrepreneurship development agency.

Issues being addressed:

  • Resource management and mobilisation
  • Crowdsourcing solutions

Response tags:

Date Submitted:

8 June 2020