Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have developed a technique that uses algorithms to make the pressure regulator on respirators work better.
Respirators pump air into and out of a patient’s lungs when they are no longer able to breathe on their own. However, ensuring that patients get just the right amount of air they need is a daunting task. After all, not every patient is the same.
Lecturer at TU/e, Dr. Tom Oomen of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, has devised a solution to the problem. Oomen develops applications of control technology for the high-tech industry. For this, he uses algorithms to control printers and wafer scanners. He uses algorithms that can also be applied to anaesthetised patients. Their breathing is generally very even, just like the industrial processes that Oomen has to deal with.
Factor 10
With this, ventilator machines can learn from the machine errors and correct them. This makes the equipment more accurate by a factor of ten. Before the technique can be applied in practice, additional research needs to be done. The researchers were already working on the project before the corona crisis broke out.
Source: Studio040
