Is it possible to make a non-invasive ventilator?

[Bill Dufour]

Now might be. a good time to buy an oxygen concentrator if you ever wanted one. they make 1-5 liters per. minute of 90-95% oxygen out of thin air. Enough to run a SMALL jewellery torch. Probably not too safe around a CPAP machine with greased linkages and sparks in the motors and switches.
It may also be a good time to refill your welding oxygen tanks just in case. Again it may also be a good time to buy a gas welding set or at least the oxygen cylinder if you have been thinking about it. The hoses, torches and acetylene cylinder are optional. At least get one O2 regulator to fit the tank. Some folks run propane with oxygen maybe even natural gas.
Bill D

[Edwin Santos]

A news report says James Dyson, the billionaire inventor and founder of Dyson vacuums came up with a ventilator design in 10 days after being asked to do so by the UK government. He plans to manufacture 15,000 of them. From this image, it looks more sophisticated than a DIY job a woodworker might be able to fashion in his home shop!


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[Mark Hennebury]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canad...cid=spartandhp

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[Stephen Tashiro]

I drove my daughter to work today. We often go on some intellectual exercise and today it was whether it would be possible to make a home brew ventilator. we read about Italy running short of ICU beds and ventilators.

Ventillators used in hospitals are very sophisticated machines. They have several "modes" of operation: https://www.openanesthesia.org/modes...l_ventilation/

[Curt Harms]

In a pinch I wonder if you could use an aircraft oxygen mask 'real' oxygen mask, not the 'dixie cup' masks in aircraft cabins. Here's an overview of different types.

Diluter Demand Gets You Higher

Above 25,000 feet, your re-breather mask can't keep the oxygen percentage high enough to keep you safe. Aircraft that operate above 25,000 feet and up to 40,000 feet use a "diluter-demand" oxygen system.

This system uses a face-tight seal to ensure cabin air doesn't unintentionally mix into the mask. The system then automatically mixes cabin air with oxygen to maintain a safe oxygen saturation.

Unlike a continuous-flow system, the diluter-demand mask doesn't constantly pump oxygen. Instead, it only supplies oxygen as you breathe. Since it automatically mixes oxygen and air only as you inhale, a diluter-demand system generally lasts longer than continuous flow.

At 40,000 feet, there isn't enough pressure in the atmosphere to allow your lungs to absorb safe levels of oxygen, even if you're breathing 100% O2. At that point, you'll need some extra pressure.

The Pressure Demand System

A pressure-demand system forces pressurized oxygen into your lungs as you breathe. The high pressure, combined with 100% oxygen, keeps the oxygen's partial pressure high enough for your lungs to absorb a safe level of O2.

Since the system forces air into your lungs under pressure, you'll need to force it back out as you exhale. This is exhausting - it takes a significant amount of force to exhale, you'll be tired after several hours on a pressure-demand system.