I have been contacted by Frederick M. Barken, M. D. WA2BLE, an active amateur and retired physician located in the Western NY Section of the Atlantic Division. As you are aware NY is currently the epic center of the outbreak. The good doctor has suggests that Amateur Radio has the potential to make a substantial contribution to in the saving of lives by producing ventilators in volume. Please review the below series of emails and offer comments on whether this concept is feasible/practicable and how to best jump start this project. This envisioned project would similar to what Micky has shared on a larger scale as I understand it. It is awesome that folks are working toward common goals. Thanks & Stay Healthy! 73, Tom – W3TOM From: Frederick Barken <fbarken@gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020 10:21 AM To: w3tom@verizon.net Cc: Roderick, Rick, K5UR (President) <K5UR@arrl.org>; Shelley, Barry, N1VXY (CEO) <bshelley@arrl.org>; k3rf@arrl.org; Ford, Steve, WB8IMY <sford@arrl.org>; techedit-nutsvolts@yahoo.com Subject: Re: Amateur Construction of Ventilators Tom, Thank you for your quick reply. Yes, I had given thought to all the same considerations. As far as distribution goes, that could be through contacting state health departments. They know exactly how many ventilator units there are in each hospital. I know in NY the governor is calling for 30,000 units! I could imagine the state of NY offering to compensate individuals for their outlay, or setting up some sort of fast-tracked grant, perhaps assigned to ARRL for fair distribution. Retired hams, sheltering in place and able to buy the kit, might just do it as a donation. Delivery of units could be by Fedex, with hospitals paying the shipping through their budgets. I wouldn't count on the need for units diminishing in spring. So far there is no sign that this virus behaves like seasonal influenza, and the toll will be horrible if we don't meet the need. The best guess I have read is that this will continue to come in rolling waves throughout the country. The unit would have to be of the utmost simplest design to keep down parts cost and assembly time. One or more parts suppliers, commonly used by hams, would just throw the parts in a box and ship.There would have to be a very simple manual, both for assembly and for operation. There also would have to be some sort of on-line registration to receive a kit and confirm when assembled. Issues of privacy (HIPAA), medical and product liability, and patent protection are rapidly melting away in the face of a national emergency. We essentially would be operating as Good Samaritans. Last night I also reached out to Bryan Bergeron editor-in-chief at Nuts & Volts, and he is looking into the feasibility of such an endeavor. I include him on this email in the hope of all working together to save lives. I thank you all for your consideration and am happy to help in any way I can. Best and 73, Fred, WA2BLE ___________________________________ Frederick M. Barken, M. D. 125 Genung Circle Ithaca, NY 14850 607-279-7160 On Sat, Mar 28, 2020 at 9:41 AM <w3tom@verizon.net <mailto:w3tom@verizon.net> > wrote: Greetings Fred, Thank you for your excellent suggestion. It is clear that in order to successfully apply this concept would require a significant undertaking. To make this project work under the current operating conditions there are several things that need to come together. Here are my thoughts off the top of my head: * Someone or a group needs to create a simple, cheap and universal design for a ventilator that would be acceptable to the medical community. Devices could be crowd-sourced by a large number of hams and hobbyists doing the assembly as you suggest. * With ARRL HQ’s hardworking staff presently working from their homes there is currently little bandwidth available for ARRL HQ to manage this envisioned campaign. So a group (Club) would have to be identified and would need create a plan, develop a framework and honcho such an endeavor. * Standard parts would have to be readily available in volume at low cost. * The project could become more efficient if a parts supplier could to create a complete kit for distribution. * Another piece of the puzzle is the question of how to pay for such a program. While the outcome could potentially save many lives, with many Amateurs Radio operators out of work under the current conditions this could present a challenge to self-funding. * A method of identifying hospitals in need of ventilators (And would accept them) and a method of delivery/distribution to those hospitals would need to be developed. * To enhance the value of the project everything would have to come together relatively quickly. The volume of required ventilators may diminish over the next four to five months due to warm weather and other mitigating factors. These are just a few of my thoughts that come to mind when considering your concept of creating a significant number of ventilators utilizing crowd-sourcing by a large number of hams and hobbyists. I will bounce these ideas around and let’s see what develops… Many thanks for sharing your creative suggestion! 73, Tom Abernethy, W3TOM ARRL Director – Atlantic Division (301) 257-6225 Serving all of the ARRL members in the Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland/DC, Northern New York, Southern New Jersey, Western New York and Western Pennsylvania ARRL Sections. From: Ford, Steve, WB8IMY <sford@arrl.org <mailto:sford@arrl.org> > Sent: Friday, March 27, 2020 9:58 PM To: Frederick Barken <fbarken@gmail.com <mailto:fbarken@gmail.com> > Cc: Abernethy, Tom, W3TOM (Dir, AT) <w3tom@arrl.org <mailto:w3tom@arrl.org> >; Shelley, Barry, N1VXY (CEO) <bshelley@arrl.org <mailto:bshelley@arrl.org> > Subject: Re: Amateur Construction of Ventilators Dr Barkin: I'm sorry to say I lack the authority within the ARRL organization to consider your proposal. Instead, I'd encourage you to contact Tom Abernethy, W3TOM, your Atlantic Division Director. He email address is w3tom@arrl.org <mailto:w3tom@arrl.org> and I am copying Tom on this reply. 73 . . . Steve Ford, WB8IMY QST Editor _____ From: Frederick Barken <fbarken@gmail.com <mailto:fbarken@gmail.com> > Sent: Friday, March 27, 2020 7:28 PM To: Ford, Steve, WB8IMY <sford@arrl.org <mailto:sford@arrl.org> > Subject: Amateur Construction of Ventilators To: Steve Ford, WB8IMY I am a ham, hobbyist, longtime QST reader, and a retired physician. Here in NY State the Governor estimates that we will need some 30,000 ventilators to support victims of COVID-19 infection. There is simply no way that is going to happen if supplied only from commercial sources. Is it possible, given a bare-bones design, that a significant number of devices could be crowd-sourced by a large number of hams and hobbyists doing the assembly? A ventilator is simply an air pump with just a few variables to control: the tidal volume (how much air moves with each inspiration), the ventilatory rate (how many cycles per minute), the % oxygen in the inspired air, and something called positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) which leaves the airway expanded in exhalation, just like with a CPAP machine or the mask that is worn by a fighter pilot at high altitude. PEEP is adjustable, but typically is about 5mm Hg. The control circuitry for this should be very simple. The device would require standardized fittings to work with the hoses found in hospitals and set up by respiratory technicians. The machine doesn't have to be pretty. Anything that could be done can only save lives. If ARRL could take the lead on this, publishing on line the assembly instructions, perhaps a parts supplier could scramble to create a kit to be sent to thousands of home brewers. They could either donate the device to their local hospitals or there could be some sort of organized distribution system set in place. Would you please give this idea some consideration? Thank you very much. Fred, WA2BLE ___________________________________ Frederick M. Barken, M. D. 125 Genung Circle Ithaca, NY 14850 607-279-7160
