Project Details

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Flow-limiting device for emergency ventilation

Company: Penn State College of Medicine

Major(s):
Primary: BME
Secondary: ME

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: YES

A bag-valve mask is a handheld medical device used to provide emergency ventilation to patients who are not breathing adequately. It consists of a self-inflating bag, a one-way valve, and a face mask, and can be connected to supplemental oxygen. In some cases the device is used too aggressively, providing too much respiratory volume or rate which can harm the patient. The purpose of this project is to design a modified bag-valve mask or add-on device that can prevent excessive ventilation. A standard bag-valve mask will be provided, and the team is asked to design, prototype, and test a device. Mentors include an emergency medicine doctor at Hershey Medical Center.