New ventilator technique could quadruple patients helped

Researchers are working on a system to treat multiple COVID-19 patients using a single ventilator.

Link to video and sound (details below): https://bit.ly/2Rt29pt

(B-roll video courtesy: Hawaiʻi Pacific Health/Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children)

What: Led by Straub Medical Center Anesthesiologist Donald Gaucher, MD, a team including University of Hawaiʻi faculty, is developing a method to treat up to four COVID-19 patients off of a single ventilator. 

Who: 

• Donald Gaucher, MD (Straub Medical Center anesthesiologist)
• Russell Woo, MD (John A. Burns School of Medicine associate professor of surgery and Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women and Children pediatric surgeon)
• A Zachary Trimble (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa mechanical engineering associate professor) *pronounced Zachary Trimble
• Scott Miller (UH Mānoa mechanical engineering associate professor)
• Brennan Yamamoto (2019 UH Mānoa mechanical engineering PhD graduate and researcher for the University of Hawaiʻi Applied Research Laboratory)

Why: State officials say there are about 535 ventilators in the state and about 15 percent are being used right now. This technique would be implemented only in an emergency if all ventilation capacity has been used.

How: According to Woo, this system uses a series of valves and 3D-printed materials to individually regulate the flow, volume and pressures to each of the patients sharing the ventilator. It allows for individualizing multiple elements of the respiratory care.

When: The team is conducting additional testing to improve the system before the need is great in Hawaiʻi. 

Other Facts:

• Doctors worldwide are working on ways to treat more than one patient with a single ventilator. This Hawaiʻi advancement allows patients to receive individualized care.
• One of the challenges researchers needed to overcome was instituting safety measures to prevent cross-contamination between patients.
• Through this technique, doctors worldwide may make modifications based on the availability of parts in their areas. Trimble said doctors can build a slightly modified version if they can access a hardware store.

B-roll:

1 shot: still photo showing four beds, one ventilator

2 shot: (2:16) camera moves along the various parts of the ventilator system

Sound:

Donald Gaucher, MD, Straub Medical Center anesthesiologist

(:11)

(Video Courtesy: Hawaiʻi Pacific Health/Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women and Children)

“The quad-split ventilator system allows four patients to be ventilated off one ventilator, each with their own different minute ventilation.”

A Zachary Trimble, UH Mānoa mechanical engineering associate professor

(:20)

(Video Courtesy: University of Hawaiʻi)

“One of the huge advantages of the initial first prototype is it’s sourced by local hardware components. Therefore, doctors throughout the world can build this slightly modified version of a shared ventilator system and improve care anywhere that they can get to a hardware store.”

Russell Woo, MD, JABSOM associate professor and Hawaiʻi Pacific Health physician

(:18)

(Video Courtesy: University of Hawaiʻi)

“This particular system that we’ve been working on allows for partial individualization of care. In fact, it allows for individualizing multiple elements of the respiratory care which we feel will make this more safe and more feasible.”