MAKE PARTS FAST: Autocam Medical Brings University of Michigan Ventilator Splitter from Conception to Development in Less than a Month

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Researchers at the University of Michigan, collaborating with Autocam Medical, have tackled the COVID-19 crisis of potential ventilator shortages globally and developed VentMI in remarkable time—from prototype to available for use in under a month. This new ventilator splitter overcomes a previously critical limitation for shared use of these devices. Previous splitters could deliver only one pre-set pressure to patients even though each patient requires a unique pressure tailored to their lung size and degree of disease. Excessive volume or pressure can cause lung trauma, thereby limiting the ability to share a ventilator.

Conceived only weeks ago by Dr. Kyle VanKoevering of the Department of Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Michigan Medicine and an associate faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the new splitter was designed, prototyped, tested and received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA. In less than a week, Autocam Medical was mobilized to implement Design for Manufacturing (DFM) processes and started manufacturing the VentMI.

A new company formed by U-M inventors, MakeMedical LLC, has licensed the technology from U-M and will provide VentMI at cost to other institutions. Autocam Medical is providing its manufacturing services at cost, as well. The VentMI costs only one-hundredth that of a new ventilator, thereby helping to reduce vent costs into the future as well.

Continue reading at Make Parts Fast…

THE SAULT NEWS: Autocam Medical Works with University of Michigan to Produce Device that Helps Multiple Patients Breathe on One Ventilator

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In March, as the coronavirus pandemic swept through China and began hitting Europe, before stay-at-home orders and worst-case global coronavirus deaths were predicted into the hundreds of thousands of people, medical professionals began to worry about whether there were enough ventilators for all the patients who would need them.

A team of U-M doctors specializing in creating medical inventions through 3D printing started brainstorming. One week after creating sketches in a notebook, they had a working prototype for a new type of device to split one ventilator between multiple patients — in a way that solves one of the primary concerns of that controversial, last-resort practice: the lack of the ability for doctors to make individual oxygen adjustments for each connected patient.

The doctors group, MakeMedical LLC, has applied for a patent on its VentMI device. It has been tested on animals and received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Continue reading at The Sault News….

MSN: Autocam Medical Manufactures Device From U-M Allowing Multiple Patients to Breathe on One Ventilator

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In March, as the coronavirus pandemic swept through China and began hitting Europe, before stay-at-home orders and worst-case global coronavirus deaths were predicted into the hundreds of thousands of people, medical professionals began to worry about whether there were enough ventilators for all the patients who would need them.

A team of U-M doctors specializing in creating medical inventions through 3D printing started brainstorming. One week after creating sketches in a notebook, they had a working prototype for a new type of device to split one ventilator between multiple patients — in a way that solves one of the primary concerns of that controversial, last-resort practice: the lack of the ability for doctors to make individual oxygen adjustments for each connected patient.

Continue reading at MSN…

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Autocam Medical Partners with the University of Michigan and MakeMedical LLC to Produce New Ventilator Device

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In March, as the coronavirus pandemic swept through China and began hitting Europe, before stay-at-home orders and worst-case global coronavirus deaths were predicted into the hundreds of thousands of people, medical professionals began to worry about whether there were enough ventilators for all the patients who would need them.

A team of U-M doctors specializing in creating medical inventions through 3D printing started brainstorming. One week after creating sketches in a notebook, they had a working prototype for a new type of device to split one ventilator between multiple patients — in a way that solves one of the primary concerns of that controversial, last-resort practice: the lack of the ability for doctors to make individual oxygen adjustments for each connected patient.

The doctors group, MakeMedical LLC, has applied for a patent on its VentMI device. It has been tested on animals and received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Continue reading at Detroit Free Press…

WZZM13: Autocam Medical Looking to Hire Skilled Tradespeople

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Time to finish up our series on who’s hiring in West Michigan during the pandemic. Today’s company is a medical parts manufacturer in Kentwood. They were a growing company to begin with, and they’re looking to grow more.

Autocam Medical Devices does exactly what their name implies.

“Manufacturing for really a variety of different applications. A lot of surgical, trauma-related,” says GM John Kennedy.

As you’d imagine, during the COVID-19 fight, they’ve focused some of that work.

“Reaching and working with a number of customers on taking on additional ventilator-related work. A project going on with the University of Michigan with a ventilator-splitting device,” says Kennedy.

And they have plenty of job openings, looking for people to help them with that work. Their pay is dictated by the job and experience.

“It varies pretty widely depending on whether you’er a skilled machinist or an engineer,” says Kennedy.

They’re wearing masks and doing temperature checks, doing everything they can to keep the place safe. They’re also expressing their gratitude for the workers they have.

Continue reading at WZZM13…

THE DETROIT NEWS: Autocam Medical Works with the University of Michigan and Other Prominent Partners to Produce New Ventilator Device

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A team from the University of Michigan has invented a device that allows multiple patients to safely use the same ventilator and has quickly made it available across the country with help from former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.

The device, called the VentMI, is a splitter that protects patients from cross-contamination while sharing a ventilator, and allows caregivers to adjust the settings to each patient’s needs — solving two problems that have largely prohibited shared use of ventilators in the past.

Two ear, nose and throat doctors from Michigan Medicine and UM’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital conceived of the device on March 22 and obtained emergency use authorization from the federal Food and Drug Administration on April 10 — an astounding timeline for a process that normally takes months or years.

Dr. Glenn Green, a pediatric otolaryngologist at UM’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Kyle VanKoevering, an otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at Michigan Medicine, posted their idea on Facebook in mid-March.

Continue reading at The Detroit News…

MLIVE: John Kennedy Details Autocam Medical Safety Practices During COVID-19 Pandemic

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The former chairperson of the conservative West Michigan Policy Forum wants state officials to implement a plan that provides businesses an opportunity to reopen if they can do so safely.

“If there’s a business that can operate safely, then we think we should be moving in that direction,” said Doug DeVos, who sits on the policy forum’s board and serves as co-chairmen of Amway’s board of directors. “We want to keep that balance between safe living and earning a paycheck.”

Continue reading at mLIVE…

MLIVE: Autocam Medical to Manufacture University of Michigan Ventilator Device

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University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine researchers have invented a device that allows multiple patients to share a single ventilator, increasing the capacity to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients.

The VentMI splits oxygen output from a single ventilator to two patients, taking some pressure off hospitals to acquire additional ventilators during a time when healthcare systems across the globe need additional vital equipment for treating patients with the novel coronavirus.

In severe cases, COVID-19 can cause severe breathing problems that require a patient to use a ventilator to push oxygen into the lungs while their body fights off the infection.

One of the challenges in ventilator use during the pandemic is that the machines will only deliver pre-set pressure to all patients sharing the same ventilator, meaning patients must have similarly sized lungs with equal stiffness, UM experts said in a news release. Otherwise, additional pressure or oxygen volume may cause lung trauma.

The VentMI works like a scuba tank regulator, releasing highly compressed oxygen slowly at the pressure a patient’s lungs need to breathe, the inventors said. The device also has one-way valves and filters to prevent one patient’s cough from going to the other’s lungs.

Continue reading at mLIVE…

U-M LAB LOG: Personalized Device Could Support Multiple COVID-19 Patients From Single Ventilator

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As the pandemic swept across the nation in March, so did urgent questions about the virus’ potential strain on the healthcare system.

Among top concerns: whether the nation’s hospitals had enough ventilators to provide breathing support to critically ill patients with the disease COVID-19, which mainly attacks the lungs.

As experts predicted a surge in coronavirus cases and a possible shortage in intensive care unit equipment, University of Michigan teams immediately got to work on a solution. The mission: to quickly develop an efficient, affordable and more controlled way to expand ventilator capacity.

Now, just weeks later, U-M and Michigan Medicine researchers have invented an individualized vent-splitter that may allow multiple patients to receive customized pressures while sharing a single ventilator. U-M has filed for patent protection on the technology, and a local start-up, MakeMedical LLC, has licensed the technology and developed it into the VentMI device.

Continue reading at U-M LabLog…

WZZM 13: Autocam Medical to Manufacture University of Michigan and Makemedical Device Allowing Multiple Patients to Use Same Ventilator with Individual Pressure

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When experts predicted a surge in COVID-19 cases and possible ICU equipment shortages, University of Michigan healthcare workers started making a controlled way to expand ventilator capacity.

Now, U-M and Michigan Medicine researchers invented an individualized vent-splitter that may allow multiple patients to receive customized pressures while sharing a ventilator.

U-M has filed for patent protection on the technology and a local start-up, MakeMedical, LLC, has liscensed the technology and developed it into the VentMITM device.

The device has been tested on animals and received emergency use authorization from the FDA.

“It has taken relentless positive action by a large number of individuals all motivated by the common good to make this happen,” says Glenn Green, M.D., a pediatric otolaryngologist at Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and co-developer of the technology.

The team has spent the last few weeks using in-house 3D printing to produce multiple prototypes. test them on machines in a hospital operating room, and evaluate how the technology worked on pigs.

The FDA’s emergency authorization means the device can be used on humans if needed.

“We have been working 24/7 to develop a system that could at least double ventilator capacity,” says Michigan Medicine otolaryngologist Kyle VanKoevering, M.D., who is also an associate faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan Engineering.

Continue reading at WZZM 13…

CLICK ON DETROIT: Autocam Medical to Manufacture Ventilator Device to Support Multiple COVID-19 Victims on a Single Ventilator with Individual Pressure

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University of Michigan and Michigan Medicine researchers have invented a device to help multiple COVID-19 patients receive personalized gas pressures and pressure monitoring from a single ventilator.

Using 3D printing, researchers created an affordable and mobile vent splitter, a device that allows different patients to use one ventilator.

The team of researchers made the VentMI device as a response to predicted shortages in intensive care unit equipment for patients with COVID-19.

With current vent splitters, there are limitations on how ventilators can be used. Since shared ventilator circuits only deliver one pre-set pressure, patients using the ventilator must have similarly-sized lungs and needs.

The personalized settings of the VentMI allow patients with different ventilator needs and lung capacities to share a ventilator. The technology works by slowly releasing compressed air to patients, like a scuba tank regulator.

Continue reading at ClickOnDetroit…

NEWS-MEDICAL: University of Michigan and Makemedical Ventilator Splitter with Individual Pressure Capability to be Manufactured by Autocam Medical

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As the pandemic swept across the nation in March, so did urgent questions about the virus’ potential strain on the healthcare system.

Among top concerns: whether the nation’s hospitals had enough ventilators to provide breathing support to critically ill patients with the disease COVID-19, which mainly attacks the lungs.

As experts predicted a surge in coronavirus cases and a possible shortage in intensive care unit equipment, University of Michigan teams immediately got to work on a solution. The mission: to quickly develop an efficient, affordable and more controlled way to expand ventilator capacity.

Now, just weeks later, U-M and Michigan Medicine researchers have invented an individualized vent-splitter that may allow multiple patients to receive customized pressures while sharing a single ventilator. U-M has filed for patent protection on the technology, and a local start-up, MakeMedical LLC, has licensed the technology and developed it into the VentMITM device.

The VentMITM device has been tested in animals and received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. MakeMedical, which U-M inventors have equity in, will provide the device at cost to other institutions without any profit for U-M or the company.

Continue reading at News-Medical…