A team of innovative volunteers are tackling the Covid-19 pandemic head-on with the design and build of remote control ventilators. Trust director Alan Thomas is leading an international team from Auckland with trustee Michael Ilewicz in Germany.
ArdenVent’s mission is to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of the world’s medical workforce fighting Covid-19.
This project is Kiwi ingenuity at its very best, solving the world’s problems with the perfect marriage of software and hardware.
Company-X is backing the project, with senior software developer Mark Nikora volunteering his own time with Arden Auxiliary Medical Trust. We were thrilled to hear about the project, and will support Mark in whatever way we can.
The web interface Mark is contributing to can be accessed from any internet connected device, meaning personal computers, smartphones and tablet computers can be used to save lives on the other side of the world.
The trust is designing and building sophisticated low-cost ventilators to artificially respirate Covid-19 patients that can be operated and controlled from an internet connection anywhere in the world.
This project demonstrates the internet of things in action.
Remote control internet-connected ventilators allow someone in another country where the pandemic is less severe to operate the devices and help save lives.
It also allows an operator who cannot risk exposure to Covid-19 because of their own health to keep a safe distance from a Covid-19 patient in hospital or their own home.
The project aims to provide remote support to medical professionals in the parts of the world most affected by the pandemic. New Zealand colleagues, where the disease is under control, are hoped to be able to help patients where the medical system is overrun.
The voluntary development team is based in New Zealand, the US and Switzerland.
A year ago, in this column, I said the Coronavirus battle will be won with medical science and the latest technology.
It’s heartening to see Kiwis playing their part in this battle.
