A bit off topic! I got asked to help build a ventilator for a low-cost application to save lives in COVID-19. A few brilliant engineers at the University of Florida are building a ventilator using cheap lawn sprinkler valves & pvc pipe to direct compressed oxygen gas. They needed a control system to manage the inspiratory and expiratory valves.
With What I have learned from Farhan and everyone here, I suggested the Arduino was the way to go;
Last night and today I started building the little transistor drivers to handle the sprinkler valves. The only NPN power transistors I could find in the entire house were 2N3055s. Then I wrote a simple program to read a potentiometer to adjust ventilatory rate, and for starters, set the I to E ratio at the normal 1 to 2. Using the potentiometer, the respiratory rate can be varied from 10 to 30. They have simple spring mechanisms to create positive end expiratory pressure. The prototype is working on my kitchen table, and I¡¯m waiting for the mechanical engineer to drive over with the plumbing apparatus and the valves.
Your building this open source, some of you really bright folks might want to jump in and help them with the software, if so email me and I will help get you into the group. my part was just the simple transistor switches.
Ashar¡ª We may have a new product for you to build quickly. And I¡¯m sure you could make it a lot better
Gordon Gibby KX4Z
