Pulmonary ventilator developed by university students from Minas Gerais wins the market with embrapii investment

A mechanical ventilation system controlled by electronic platform developed by students and teachers of Inatel was transferred to the industry and will soon gain the market with funding from EMBRAPII (Brazilian Company of Research and Industrial Innovation), responsible for supporting innovation in Brazil. The partnership for production will be between Inatel and Ventrix, an electromedical equipment company, also based in Santa Rita do Sapucaí. The prototype of one of the most necessary equipment for the care of critically ill patients in Covid-19 was developed at the educational and research institution in a few weeks with the use of national components. "The differential of inatel's project is the digital pressurization system that makes gas control more accurate and without the use of ambu, which is a balloon used in emergency, but that does not handle all cases of respiratory failure, according to medical experts," explains the professor and coordinator of the volunteer team that developed the prototype, Filipe Bueno Vilela The project was presented to the Ministries of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications (MCTIC), Economics and Health. "Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have made available to the federal government our competence and specialization as a Science and Technology Institution for the development of necessary solutions for this moment, contributing to our society," says The Director of Inatel, Professor Carlos Nazareth Motta Marins. MCTIC Minister Marcos Pontes has stressed the importance of science, technology and innovation in the fight against Covid-19. "Science is the only weapon we have that can directly attack the cause of the problem, which is the virus," he says. MCTIC and its related entities, such as EMBRAPII, have been working to encourage research in priority strategic areas to combat the pandemic. The partnership between Inatel and Ventrix, with funding from EMBRAPII, foresees that 50 units of the equipment will be produced in 90 days. Then, production can move to up to one hundred units daily from the fan. "Ventrix was born with a focus on innovation in human health products and systems. Since its inception, it has used the best technologies to promote access to health and has brought new concepts of monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of patients. Within this vision, the partnership with Inatel, a renowned institution that has always valued science, technology and innovation, has greatly honored us, enabling the chance to work together so that society can face more safely this moment we are going through, relying on a technology developed in our country", says Roberto Castro Júnior, director of Ventrix. Inatel is a center for teaching, research and development of technologies, created in 1965, in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, south of Minas Gerais, known as the Electronics Valley. In addition to training professionals, Inatel transfers technology to the market. It has partnerships with national and multinational technology companies and, since 2016, is embrapii unit, responsible for supporting development and innovation in Brazil. Since March, Inatel has a group of about 50 volunteers, including students, teachers and employees of Inatel, companies from Vale da Eletrônica and professionals even from other countries. In addition to the ventilator, several other actions are under development for combating and coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. Check out the initiatives on the inatel.br/coronavirus website.