The ventilator splitter and Deakin University collaboration came about through Dr Beau Beza’s wife Dr Jennifer Hall, who’s an anaesthetist at the Alfred Hospital. Ms Hall had been observing what’s been happening in other countries with the lack of ventilator machines to treat the high numbers of seriously ill COVID-19 patients.
On Tuesday 24 March, Dr Hall contacted Deakin to see what 3D printing resources the School of Architecture and Built Environment had to print and test the production of a prototype ventilator splitter.
The query quickly turned into a collaboration between the School of Architecture and Built Environment, the School of Engineering, Austeng, other Anaesthetists from the Alfred Hospital and the Baker Institute. It’s really a fantastic collaboration between university and industry, demonstrating how the two can effectively work together.
Stay tuned for further updates on this collaboration and prototype development.
Special thanks to:
Our Deakin University colleagues that helped make this happen: Executive Dean Karen Hapgood, AHoS (Research) Ben Horan (School of Engineering), Rebecca Bartel (DR Innovations) and Deakin’s CIMT.
Colleagues at Austeng: Ross George, Lyn George and Dylan Mayson
Doctors at the Alfred Hospital: Timothy Byrne, Simon Hendel and Jennifer Hall
Researchers at the Baker Institute
Source: AHoS (Research) Ben Horan (School of Engineering)
*an anaesthetist is a medical doctor that provides patients with anesthetic during a surgical procedure, monitors and manages one’s ‘slumber’ during the procedure and provides pain management during and post procedure. Importantly, the anaesthetist ensures the safety and flow of air through one’s airway during a procedure where general anesthetic is used.
