EnMed is a collaborative venture between Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Texas A&M University College of Engineering, and Houston Methodist Hospital. Students in this program are helping devise solutions to some of our current challenges.
Project 1: Alternative to N95 Mask, highest priority
- The goal here is an extremely low tech DIY kit to assemble a mask that can address the present N95 shortage within an acceptable performance.
- Present Status: The mask design, video and GMP manufacturing protocol is in place. It is now undergoing a 2nd version of modification from manufacturability and repeatability standpoint. The materials like AC filter, sewing machine etc is being identified along with research team of 3-5 in Biomedical Engineering. The effort here is to have a group of engineers who can quickly repeat the protocol so that we can answer questions like throughput. materials needed and resources to make scale and make it error proof. Immediate focus is prototyping and then execute a plan to roll-out clinical adoption with partners through EnMed and other stakeholders locally or whoever needs help at that point.
- Timeline: We are projecting by Monday to have a design which can be deployed.
- Personnel: We have personnel at this point for this activity.
- Design & Prototyping: Available
- Financial: Assembling prototypes are not very expensive at this point but if we have to assemble in bulk we will need resources.
Project 2: Modification of Commercial CPAP machines: Utilize existing CPAP machines and enhance the flow performance as a bridge to clinical decision. We are exploring various options.
Project 3: Building cheaper ventilators: Ground up design of cheaper ventilators $50-$300 range would be a desirable direction which can be manufactured locally for distribution. We are looking at specs. The clinical input would be critical here too.
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