Fluids Researchers Contribute to Covid-19 Fight

LIFD academics have participated in recent projects to support the NHS and hospitals in the fight against Covid-19.

Simple fix creates coronavirus breathing aids

Engineers and scientists from the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust have developed a way to convert a sleep apnoea machine into a ventilator to treat people with covid-19. As noted in the School of Mechanical Engineering's news, this development has the potential to significantly increase the respiratory support available to very ill patients across the country. Read more here.

Low-cost ventilatory support for covid-19 patients

The same research team later developed a way of creating a ventilatory system for covid-19 patients that can be made rapidly on a 3D printer. Adapting a Venturi valve - a small plastic device normally used to increase the flow of oxygen to a patient - can deliver an increased flow of oxygen to the patient, raise the pressure of that flow, and crucially produce an effect similar to a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine - a form of intermediate-level ventilator capable of delivering oxygen at the right concentration and pressure to have a therapeutic effect. Read the full article here.

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For more information on Covid-19 and the University's latest updates, please refer to the central coronavirus page.