drill powered perestalic pump for covid patients? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 06:24:43 pm
content: if there is a ventilator shortage, I wonder if a assembly can be made for a regular hand drill (which can switch rotation direction) so simple tubing can be used to make a respirator unit? can it be done with common vinyl tubing?4see the post under for ideas on manufacturing. I don't think a 3d printer is required for this pump, since its basically planar and uses a hose. More advanced pumps could be made with a 3d printer, but I think if this works, you could make it with wood, coping saw and some sand paper by hand, without power even.Keep in mind even 1 day of run time would be enough, pumps are typically designed to last alot longer then 24 hours before they chew through the hose, so there might be alot of room to breath as far as reducing complexity goes.Also, its very hygienic, because the hose could simply be burned after use in a barrel.If necessary, a car could be used to turn the axle and a burst disk fitted to protect patients.

author: PeterG
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 09:55:01 pm
content: At this time i think there would be a few mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers with plenty of extra time on there hands. So an open source type design could be achievable. And there are more than enough people on here with the required skills in there field to contribute if there is enough interest.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2020, 11:26:10 pm
content: I think it would just be a peg board with a rotor. I think actually, someone can prototype this with a band saw easier then a 3d printer. You could make one out of wood, then a stronger one out of epoxy and lexan if it works.I think the problem might be the vinyl tube, you might require a true silicone tube. Maybe if you make the bend angle extra long and the rotor extra big to compesate for the vinyl tube sucking compared to a silicone tube.It's a flat geometry. You could even use plates that are screwed together if you make it out of metal. You can stack them to increase flow, with multiple manifolded tubes in parallel on one taller rotor. 4x 1 inch tube might be able to move alot of air.If it works, metal with a plasma cutter to make bucket fulls of durable rotors after a template is made.Polishing the contact faces on the tube would likely help (if you make a prototype, it might make sense to sand the rounds really nice).

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 01:11:44 am
content: this is a more advanced design, but I wonder with the power of a drill and parallel hoses, can you make it dead simplehttps://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Peristaltic-Pump/if a big parallel solution is made, one motor could theoretically supply air to multiple patients, so long the output of the hoses won't cross contaminate. \I even wonder if you can cut a plunger apart to make a face mask (plumber plunger).I also wonder if the rotor of a large motor has a surface topology that is easy to modify into a perestalic pump rotor. Perhaps just by drilling holes with bearing arms on them into a motor rotor suspended in its enclosure, modified to allow rotation.something large could possibly be made with kitchen rolling pins for parallel tubing.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 03:43:42 am
content: open up your or find in dumpster old inkjet printer it got small one inside.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 08:10:48 am
content: This is a bad idea all round. Peristaltic pumps are not designed for Gas for a start and as a positive displacement pump if by chance it gets near a complete seal can generate pressure capable of rupturing a Humans Lungs.Now is not the time for guessing at alternatives that deviate completely to existing equipment/technology in use.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 29, 2020, 08:23:30 am
content: Quote from: PeterG on March 28, 2020, 09:55:01 pmThere are already plenty of open source ventilator projects that have started up recently.