Emergency ventilation device developed in record time
In the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish multinational GPA Innova has developed an emergency ventilation device in record time. As the chief partner, Siemens is contributing the Respira device’s electronics, including the controller, HMI panel, and the power supply.
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While hospitals all over the world are focusing on saving the lives of those most affected by the COVID-19 disease, the Spanish multinational company GPA Innova has developed a new device to automate manual resuscitators. The new Respira is designed to automate BVM- and AMBU-type manual resuscitators, supporting and monitoring them automatically.
The Respira device, unlike other prototypes that are being developed, has extra features that allow personalized monitor patients’ variables. It can be controlled remotely, which means easier management for hospital staff. The device is portable and has a robust design.
Assisting human breathing reliably
Simatic S7-1200 controls the air flow and the Simatic HMI panel monitors crucial parameters to assist human breathing. Each device can operate independently or in groups of 16 units using a wireless connection along with a Simatic WinCC system, thanks to Scalance W700 devices. Sitop power supplies are used to feed all of these control devices inside. The ventilator also includes a Sentron RCCB for protection and several Sirius ACT components. All these Siemens industrial grade components offer the reliability required.
Production schedule of 1,000 units per week
As soon as the Spanish medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency AEMPS approved the device, production began. GPA Innova estimates that it will initially be able to produce between 150 and 200 units per day, up to 1,000 units per week, and will progressively increase production to 300 units daily. The company is now going to offer training and assistance to health professionals to facilitate its use in the hospitals that require it.
April 2020
The SIMATIC S7-1200 controller provides highly reliable automation and robustness. The PLC controls the manual breathing balloon, the pressure during expiration and inspiration, the breathing frequency, and the flow supplied to the patient. These values can also be monitored via the HMI as well as the current supplied air volume through the stroke control of the compressor actuator. In addition, SIMATIC S7-1200 and HMI KTP400 have a diagnose system which allows the user to set values for the maximum and minimum volume and pressure to generate alarms when these values are out of range and to warn about actuator errors or power failure.
The HMI KTP400 has a friendly and intuitive interface for maximum security which enables real-time monitoring of breathing volume, breathing inspiration and expiration pressure values (minimum, maximum and peak) besides displaying graphs of the breathing flow, pressure and volume.
The machine is portable, does not require installation, and is prepared to be managed on site and remotely. It is possible to connect up to 16 devices via WI-FI to a PC that monitors and controls the devices in real time, allowing the medical staff required, to supervise the device, be drastically reduced, enabling them to focus on priority actions. The machine has a hot spot that generates its own W-LAN that transmits all the data and sends it to the PC, hence on site's network does not need to be compromised.
In order to guarantee continuous ventilation over a long period of time, a reliable power supply is the most important premise. GPA Innova therefore requires a solid basic power supply that does not allow any compromise in quality and reliability. The SITOP lite power supply series meets this high requirement and offers all functions at a reasonable price.
In addition to the indispensable reliability, the small required space is a decisive factor. The narrow width and low heat loss allow the SITOP lite to be installed without lateral spacing, making a compact design of the ventilator possible. If the ventilator needs to be used in other supply networks, the SITOP lite’s wide range input with manual switchover allows connection to a wide variety of single-phase supply networks.
Siemens was able to provide GPA Innova with the much-needed SITOP power supplies in a very short time. This allows the company to quickly manufacture the life-saving ventilators for medical facilities.
GPA Innova is a multinational company headquartered in Barcelona that specializes in metal-surface finishing machinery and is conducting a project that uses innovative aquatic drones (USV, Unmanned Surface Vehicles) for various tasks. GPA Innova has a team of 80 staff with more than 25 engineers and achieves sales of €5.9 million (2019).
In April 2020, GPA Innova launched the Respira device to automate and remotely control resuscitation bags designed to manually assist breathing.
The Respira device automates manual breathing devices (BVM or AMBU) that are widely used in medical centers, and can automatically and continuously support patients. This means that Respira expands the number of respirators that can function without the need for continuous and manual actuation by medical staff. This supplements the respirators typically used by medical teams. It’s a machine that saves lives by controlling and monitoring the parameters necessary to assist human respiration.
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