Case Study - Understanding the Correlation Between the Components of an Emergency Resuscitator

ABSTRACT

Given the high spread of Covid-19, many hospitals suffered from a shortage of ventilators to treat patients. Consequently, emergency resuscitators (ER) became popular as a cheaper and easier to manufacture option that would satisfy the need for ventilators in hospitals. These devices are characterized by an automated mechanism that tightens a Bag valve mask (BVM), commonly known as a manual resuscitator. The ERs main components are the controller, sensors, the Human Machine Interface (HMI), and the motor. For the effective design of these devices, the team must understand the relationship between components. In the iterative process of designing, changing one part can easily affect the operation of other components. This is the most critical points of the case study presented since it is not feasible to replace a component without considering the requirements of the other parts that make up the final product. Using a resuscitator developed by a Puerto Rican company as an example, if changes were to be made, to keep the current sensors, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) should be used as a controller. Changing the PLC affects the sensors and limits the options of the HMIs since many of them are designed to work with the same brand. On the other hand, when selecting the motor, the communication method and compatibility with the controller must be considered. For these reasons, this paper presents a case study to share the compatibility issues that are faced when developing this type of device. © 2022 IISE Annual Conference and Expo 2022. All rights reserved.