COVID has challenged innovators in many ways and one much-needed area the nation really requires some shaking up is in the medical world of ventilators. And ten students from the International Institute of Information Technology, Bhubaneswar (IIIT-B), who run AUUM Technologies, stepped up in the most wonderful way possible by giving us the gift of Swasner. Granted, it doesn't look like much — a cylindrical plastic container of sorts — but only after speaking to Sai Sambit Nayak, co-founder and CEO, did we truly understand and appreciate what it is capable of.
Wearing this helmet-like ventilation device creates an isolated environment for the person with a customisable rubber band for the perfect fit. Moreover, it completely does away with the need for ventilators, just oxygen ports will do. Its manufacturing cost is as low as `1,800, it is light-weight and can help the patient breathe better. They have consulted four doctors while making this device, which is where the attention to detail matters. The prospects of Swasner are certainly exciting!
Believe it or not, the idea of Swasner was initiated two weeks before the lockdown was called for, when the team participated in Software Technology Parks of India's hackathon. "It was when researching that we stumbled upon a paper by Dr Bhakti Patel from UChicago Medicine about a similar concept," explains Sambit. They successfully got in touch with Dr Patel and progressed towards 3D printing their first prototype in April. "It was only with the help of Swiggy Genie and Zoom video calls that we were able to 3D print the first prototype," shares the 20-year-old. While three of the members, including Sambit, are in Bhubaneswar, the rest are scattered across India. "We would video conference every night for progress checks and come up with timelines and deliverables, though we couldn't always meet our deadlines," says Sambit, who is pursuing his Electrical and Electronics Engineering from IIIT-B. And yet, they manage to conquer all their shortcomings. The second prototype was made at Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology.
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The team wishes to work with more hospitals for trial runs and are applying for certifications. "Not only does the device reduce the cost of ventilators from the overall bill of the patients, it is reusable after proper sanitisation and can be used as a PPE kit as well," says Sambit, listing the other benefits of this modified hyperbaric chamber. AUUM Technologies works in the realm of IoT, blockchain, AR and other technologies and in the next five years, they want to make several products of value. Aren't they are off to a good start with Swasner?
Swasner, at your service
- It is free of maintenance and economical
- It can help patients breathe better thana CPAP/BiPAP face masks
- It is in line with an Atmanirbhar Bharat
For more on them, check out auum.in
