During Covid-19 period, a low cost (less than 200 €) and easy to build with very standard materials artificial ventilator has been designed by Toulon University researchers in cooperation with DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement).

Disclaimer : this artificial ventilator is not intented to become a commercial product used in a modern hospital, as it hasn’t been certified as compliant to state of art medical regulations. Toulon University and researchers cannot be liables of any damage, injury or death resulting from the use of this device.

Even if not certified to be compliant with most advanced medical regulations, this artificial ventilator that has been successfully tested and validated on an artificial lung (see picture) at IRBA (Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées) in HIA (Hopital Inter-Armées) Sainte-Anne, Toulon, FRANCE.

It complies with artifical ventilator medical rules : limitation of inspired volume and limitation of intra-lung pressure. It also implement both fully autonomous ventilation mode and semi-assisted ventilation mode where patient breath beginning is detected and assisted by the ventilator.

This artificial ventilator could be useful for emergency situations where it is not possible to have an access to a medically certified ventilator, such as during Covid-19 in developping nations. Considering that, Toulon University research team gathering IM2NP laboratory, IUT Toulon and SMIoT scientific platform has decided to publish this project in free open access for helping everyone  : 

Mechanics :

Electronics :

Software :

  • Embedded software(full source code available, open with Microchip MPLAB X)  : download here
  • Visual Studio 2019 monitoring software (full source code available) : download here

Project can be adapted, modified, optimized and reused as long as it is for helping people. However, a citation to the original Toulon University / DGA project is welcome.