IIT Bhubaneswar awaits ICMR nod on ventilators
BHUBANESWAR: IIT Bhubaneswar has developed two different models of ventilators for the use of patients during Covid-19 pandemic situation. Both are yet to be approved by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
First one, a portable and low-cost ventilator developed by this institution in April. The institute will apply for approval from ICMR for production of the second one — a patient responsive active assist control (PRAAN) ventilator.
IIT Bhubaneswar director RV Rajakumar said his institution is waiting for the approval to start production of the low-cost ventilators. The school of mechanical sciences of the institute developed this in April. The device was conceived and manufactured (in house) by associate professor Manas Mohan Mahapatra and team (JG Thakare, Arabinda Meher, Bivudatta Mohanty and Umesh Melkani). This ventilator will be connected with oxygen supply. According to the requirement, pumping rate can be adjusted in the ventilator. This pumping is carried out by using programmable stepper motor drive, said a team member.
The second one is a PRAAN ventilator for Covid-19 emergencies. It can be operated in the standard volume control mode by setting breaths-per-minute, inhale and exhale time ratios, and tidal volume. Faculty members Kodanda Ram Mangipudi from school of minerals, metallurgical and materials engineering, Srinivas Boppu and Srinivas Karanki from the school of electrical sciences developed the ventilator along with their students in May. The central tool room and training centre (CTTC) Bhubaneswar had also developed a low-cost ambu bag ventilator in March last week.
But it changed its specifications after ICMR came up with notification regarding the development of ventilators. The CTTC has made some changes in the ventilator and sent to the ICMR for approval. The ICMR forwarded the proposal to DRDO for approval.