By combining tires and windshields, Brazilian scientists designed a low-cost ventilator that could soon be available in the country. The OpenVentilator, created by the co-op PopSolutions, still needs to be tested on humans but it has already passed the initial simulations. The idea came from an open-source project that involved more than 250 people from 17 countries, but all the used material was produced in Brazil, according to investor Marcos Mendes.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is the lead cause of death among those infected with the novel coronavirus. To minimize the impacts, Brazilian universities have already been developing low-cost respirators — despite cuts in research funding. As of last month, one-third of Brazilian cities had 10 or fewer ventilators.
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