Developing countries across the world struggle to find medical equipment such as ventilators to treat patients with COVID-19. These devices are often expensive and difficult to import, and according to the WHO (World Health Organization), about 70% of them malfunction when they get to these countries. Additional problems such as lack of maintenance and no consideration for the local supply chain are also major factors for limited access to ventilators.

We are excited to announce a new pulmonary ventilator that aims to provide a more adequate solution to tackle this issue: VentFlow is an accessible and viable alternative, designed according to the geographic, human, and economic characteristics of Brazil, all while following the WHO’s “4As” principles: Availability, Affordability, Adoption, and Appropriate Use.

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Usually, this type of medical equipment is highly sophisticated, expensive, and takes up to 3 years to get to the market. VentFlow was conceived in only 35 days as an immediate response to the current crisis and has already been presented to Brazil’s Health Ministry. It is currently awaiting certification by Anvisa (Brazil’s health regulation agency, equivalent to the FDA), enabling its production.

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In order to avoid supply chain challenges and expensive or proprietary components, VentFlow uses accessible parts that are readily available in established supply chains.

It is expected to be produced at large scale, since the technology can be easily assembled and licensed by other producers’ partners to meet the growing demand. It can be adapted to any region, serving mainly countries with development structures like Brazil.

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More about this project: www.questtono.com