UCL-Ventura CPAP device

The UCL-Ventura breathing aid is a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device that supports patients with breathing difficulties. It works by pushing an air-oxygen mix into the mouth and nose at a continuous pressure, keeping airways open and increasing the amount of oxygen entering the blood stream. This breathing aid can be used to help Covid-19 patients with serious respiratory problems to breathe more easily and has been shown to help prevent the need for invasive ventilation. The UCL-Ventura designs and manufacturing instructions have been released to help public health efforts during the Covid-19 pandemic emergency. Access to this information will be provided at no cost to governments, relevant industry manufacturers, academics and health experts. However, if you do not have access to the manufacturing capabilities to produce devices and you have a specific request for devices to be supplied internationally please contact the team directly.

Summary Specs:

• The device is a stand-alone flow generator. Used in conjunction with the associated circuit, it can provide CPAP support for patients with COVID-19 who are hypoxaemic, tachypnoeic, and have increased work of breathing despite supplemental face mask oxygen.
• The device is powered purely by 4-bar oxygen (no electricity/medical air required).- The device can provide an oxygen concentration to the patient of 30-95%.
• The level of CPAP is dictated by the rating of the PEEP valve at the patient mask.
• Suggested range of operation: CPAP of 5-10 cmH2O, titrate oxygen to targeted SpO2 oxygen. The circuit should be set-up with a 20 cmH2O safety PEEP valve (placed near the oxygen analyser). Patients requiring more support may benefit from more sophisticated devices.
• The device and the patient circuit has been re-engineered to produce more comfort to the patient in terms of reduced circuit resistance, and significantly reduced oxygen utilization.

The UCL-Ventura CPAP device has been developed as a collaboration between University College London (UCL), UCL Hospital and Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains. The design is based on an existing off-patent CPAP system. It was reverse-engineered based on the old Philips Respironics Whisperflow wall CPAP device that has been further modified to optimise oxygen consumption. It is hoped that, by making this information widely available, this may help the global response to the crisis by enabling healthcare systems around the world to provide respiratory support for patients with Covid-19.

Publicly available: Yes
Countries where available: UK. The UCL-Ventura CPAP device has been approved for manufacture by UCL by UK regulators. Price range: Contact supplier for quote
Offered or can be licensed for local manufacture: Yes