About OperationAIR

OperationAIR - Assist In Respiration - is a student team of the TU Delft that has developed an emergency ventilator for COVID-19 patients, the AIRone. The AIRone has been extensively tested on functionality, electrical and mechanical safety and usability. The design verification report is available on this website together with our design and other documents.

The initiative started on March 16, 2020 with the aim to develop a simple and relatively easy producible ventilator that can serve as an emergency solution when a shortage occurs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The situation in Italy has shown that the outbreak can lead to a shortage of ventilators for patients that are in need of intensive care. Doctors are then required to consider how to distribute the ventilators. The patients that do not receive artificial respiration, have an increased risk of death. For this patient population we want to provide an emergency solution.

Vision

The vision of OperationAIR is to bring technical and clinical knowledge together to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. With the knowledge and effort of students and experts from various organizations, we hope to be able to make a difference. Together we can achieve more!

Initially, our primary goal was to develop a ventilator that could save lives when a shortage occurs in the Netherlands. Now, as a decrease in new hospitalisations is seen in the Netherlands, the urgency for emergency ventilators in the Netherlands diminishes. Therefore, we have decided to focus on other countries, where a shortage for ventilators is still a major problem. Our design and the required documentation is publicly available and can be found on this website.

We have noticed that there is a high demand for ventilators abroad; not only European countries, but also countries in Africa, Asia and Middle America. Alongside our design and documentation we would also like to offer support to other initiatives abroad. By sharing our design, advising on development, production or implementation and offering our support in other ways, we hope to aid other countries in resolving the shortage for ventilators.

For whom?

The AIRone can be used for the ventilation of COVID-19 patients when a shortage occurs of regular ventilators. Our ventilator is designed in such way that it is safe, quickly producible and easy to use. We have set up the minimal requirements for the AIRone together with specialists of Leiden University Medical Center and Erasmus Medical Center. Our goal is not to replace regular ventilators on the market, but to provide an emergency solution when a shortage occurs.

What makes us different?

Nationally and internationally, many initiatives started to design cheap and easy-upscale mechanical ventilators. What makes OperationAIR different is that our systems have more functionalities and operates in a way that is familiar to national Intensive Care Units. Our ventilator currently functions as a conventional, pressure-controlled ventilator. Although it’s functionality is less than regular ventilators, our machine is optimal adequate for the treatment of the COVID-19 patient. Together with specialists from Leiden University Medical Center and Erasmus Medical Center, we have set up the design requirements. Via touchscreen, the clinician can set the following parameters: Respiratory Rate (RR), inspiratory/expiratory ratio (I/E ratio), driving pressure (Pinsp), positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and oxygen concentration (FiO2). The screen also shows the pressure and flow curves, which are necessary to evaluate the clinical condition of the patient.