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Kai Kuck, PhD Developing Open Source COVID-19 Ventilator

The department's bioengineering research division under the direction of Kai Kuck, PhD, is co-leading (with Stanford and Brown University faculty) a large team in the development of a COVID-19 Ventilator. It is an open-source full-featured ICU ventilator designed with rapid manufacturability in mind. We directly engage with international teams and manufacturing partners and work collectively towards delivering treatment options including high flow oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation to communities that have limited or no access to these life-saving interventions during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pufferfish Ventilator supports VC-AC, PC-AC, VC-SIMV, PC-SIMV and PSV/CPAP ventilation modes. Adaptive modes are currently being added. The ventilator is in the early manufacturing stage and has been adopted by teams in Nepal, Kenya, and India, to address severe ventilator shortages in these countries. An FDA Emergency Use Authorization application is being prepared. Detailed information about the ventilator can be found at the website.