Calgary ICU doctor's ventilator design wins international award for new medical devices
Calgary ICU doctor's ventilator design wins international award for new medical devices
CALGARY -
A Calgary company founded by an ICU physician is being recognized with an international Red Dot Design Award for creating a medical device that allows a single ventilator to be safely used by up to four patients at once.
“It’s really exciting to have our hard work recognized on an international stage particularly with such a prestigious award,” said Dr. Steven Roy, an intensive care physician and founder of Convergence Medical Sciences.
The Valence InVent Xtend connects to a ventilator and allows each patient to have a different pressure while still triggering alarms in the event of an emergency.
"It has its limitations obviously, but its main advantage is that it can be used to rapidly increase the number of patients that can be ventilated. It doesn't require maintenance," he said.
Early on during the pandemic, Roy says stockpiles of ventilators in the United States couldn't be used because they hadn’t been maintained in the months before.
Ventilators can cost as much as $70,000 and Roy's invention provides an affordable solution to expanding the number available, costing around $50 per patient.
Initially, Roy thought the idea of splitting a ventilator was unsafe and dangerous.
“But we were able to find a solution that provides a really high level of safety to the patients," he said.
Roy used whatever free time he had during the pandemic to build a prototype in his garage and published a paper. He then collaborated with another intensive care physician and a University of Calgary engineer to create the device.
Roy patented the device and teamed up with Exergy Solutions, who brought the design to life, creating a functional 3D-printed model.
“Having a 3D printer at your disposal just lets you really design out of the box,” said Darsey Godwin, senior mechanical engineer at Exergy Solutions.
Godwin says Roy came to the company with a working prototype.
“That’s the kind of thing we specialize in, bringing those ideas to life in terms of thinking about how 3D printers work and what their limits are and how to design to optimize the outcome," he said.
Godwin said it's a huge honour to be recognized by the Red Dot Design Award.
The device is currently pending Health Canada licensing and approval. Roy says they are also in the process of looking into a lower cost production method.
There have been multiple situations, not just the pandemic where Roy says there has been a need for a critical supply of ventilators, including the 2017 mass shooting at a country music festival in Las Vegas.
There are two main uses for this kind of technology.
“The first is when a disaster or a pandemic hits and the system is not set up to expect it," said Roy.
"This will allow you to rapidly expand the number of patients that can be supported while you mobilize the more traditional ventilators from other regions or move patients.”
The device would also be useful in developing countries where hospitals likely aren’t able to afford to store multiple high-end ventilators.
“This kind of device would allow people in a developing country to be able to adapt quickly to such a crisis whether it be an earthquake or a pandemic," said Roy.
The Valence InVent Xtend device is now on display at the Red Dot Design Museum in Germany to celebrate the award for excellence in design.
It is also a finalist for the International Design Excellence Award, which will be announced in September.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa on Wednesday as a catastrophic Category 4 storm. About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before the storm hit the coast with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h).
Coolio, the rapper who was among hip-hop's biggest names of the 1990s with hits including 'Gangsta's Paradise' and 'Fantastic Voyage,' died Wednesday at age 59, his manager said.
With Category 4 Hurricane Ian barrelling toward Florida on Wednesday morning, some of the state's popular theme parks. national parks, gardens, and cruise schedules have been closed or impacted.
In the aftermath of post-tropical storm Fiona, the premier of Nova Scotia is calling on telecommunications companies to 'step up', saying that many residents are still without cell phone service or access to 911 days after the storm pummelled the province.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre should not be opposing a dental benefit for children in low-income homes when MPs receive far broader coverage for their families.
Jeremy MacKenzie, the founder of the online group 'Diagolon,' was arrested in Nova Scotia on Wednesday on charges related to an allegation of assault in Saskatchewan from last year.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge tied the MLB American League record for most home runs in a single season Wednesday night during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The owner of the Vancouver Canucks has responded to bombshell allegations that he abused his children, which were heard during a family court proceeding this week.
On Sept. 12, two Vancouver park rangers on a routine patrol came across a tent by the pond at Andy Livingstone Park. They conducted a check, and found the tent empty, with drug paraphernalia inside. Both the tent and its contents were then removed and discarded.
When Cindy Brodowski bought her North Vancouver home earlier this year, it came with an eye-catching feature: a hedge trimmed into the shape of a face. As she found out, it had been there for years.
Five days after Fiona knocked power out for more than 500,000 customers in Nova Scotia, over 100,000 are still without power. Many more remain without internet and cell phone service.
Prince Edward Island Premier Dennis King says, although there is still a lot of work to be done before things get back to normal on the island, there has been quite a bit of progress after post-tropical storm Fiona wreaked havoc across the province Saturday.
With more than 1,400 people in the field and hundreds more behind the scenes, Nova Scotia Power is continuing its restoration efforts across the province.
A beloved Victoria toy store is looking for a new home after operating out of its downtown location for more than 13 years. Cherry Bomb Toys is moving from its location along Broad Street near Johnson Street since the building was purchased by a new owner.
Flight safety personnel from the Royal Canadian Air Force are investigating after an incident occurred involving a CP-140 Aurora aircraft out of Comox, B.C., on Wednesday afternoon. According to Captain Brad Little at 19 Wing Comox, the flight crew of the Aurora noticed they had a possible malfunction in one of their four engines shortly before 1:30 p.m.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge tied the MLB American League record for most home runs in a single season Wednesday night during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
Outgoing CAQ Immigration Minister Jean Boulet claims the vast majority of immigrants move to Montreal, don't speak French and don't work. Party leader François Legault adds that accepting more than 50,000 immigrants would be 'suicide.'
Polls heading into the final week of the Quebec election campaign show much of the same results since the first week: a race for second behind the CAQ.
Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida near Cayo Costa on Wednesday as a catastrophic Category 4 storm. About 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate southwest Florida before the storm hit the coast with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph (241 km/h).
Ottawa police are vowing to take a zero tolerance approach for public disorder during Panda Game festivities this year, after last year's post-game celebrations saw thousands of people attend a street party in Sandy Hill and damage to property.
A new mural has been unveiled at Kitchener’s Victoria Park Pavilion, with the artwork created by a youth Indigenous program in collaboration with Family and Children’s Services of Waterloo Region.
A Saskatoon man fleeing police in a U-Haul van resorted to desperate measures after they spiked his tires -- he hopped on a nearby bike and tried to ride away.
All Saskatchewan residents 18 years and older who are able to get a COVID-19 booster will be eligible for the Moderna bivalent vaccine as of Thursday, according to a news release from the province.
Sudbury police are investigating a shooting at a home on Grandview Boulevard in the New Sudbury area Wednesday morning and say they believe it is a targeted incident.
The Sudbury Catholic District School Board held a recent gathering to welcome international students from who are here to complete a year of high school.
A mother from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba is sharing her and her family’s experience at the isolated community’s nursing station, claiming their concerns about their daughter’s breathing were not listened to until the situation became critical.
On Monday, the federal government announced it would be dropping COVID border restrictions for anyone entering Canada and masking on planes and trains will also come to end.
With the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Friday, some local businesses are making sure the public has every opportunity to support charities and organizations in the city.
All Saskatchewan residents 18 years and older who are able to get a COVID-19 booster will be eligible for the Moderna bivalent vaccine as of Thursday, according to a news release from the province.
