Egyptian Hospital Technician Invents a Modified Circuit Enabling Two Patients to Share a Ventilator

Mohamed Arafa, a hospital technician in Mansoura University hospital, has designed a modified circuit for a ventilator that can safely be used by two people at once.

The circuit underwent testing, leading to the ventilator's success in supporting the lungs of patients without any harm. Steps are now being undertaken to install a protective filter on the ventilator hose to sanitise exhaled air as it goes into the device, which should prevent transmission of the virus between the paired patients. While the circuit has passed initial testing, it remains to be seen whether it will make its way to mass manufacture during the nation's fight against the Coronavirus.