I was president of the IET for 2016-17, and have been asked by government to gather practical and innovative ideas from our Engineering communities. So, please enter any ideas you might have in this thread that might help address and mitigate the Covid-19 crisis. Ideas might include digital tracking / monitoring through therapy equipment and beyond. Even ideas outside your usual expertise domain will be welcome. Now’s the time for Engineering to show we can change the world!
I have no medical expertise, but according to several news articles Covid-19 starts off as an upper respiratory infection, before later becoming a lower respiratory infection, which is when it requires ventilators and ICU care.
Other lower respiratory infections are caused by "inhalation of aerosolised material", "aspiration of upper airway flora" or by "hematogenous seeding".
So would it be possible to prevent the upper respiratory infection from becoming the more dangerous lower respiratory infection, by sealing recently diagnosed peoples Tracheas shut?
This would use an expanding seal, which has a tube through the middle to allow air flow to the lungs from a clean air source, bypassing the upper respiratory system.
The expanding seal and tube would be similar, in concept, to the plastic lid and straw that you get with a McDonalds cup.
If this works then it should reduce the number of Covid-19 cases that become the dangerous version, which requires ventilator support.
I have no medical expertise, but according to several news articles Covid-19 starts off as an upper respiratory infection, before later becoming a lower respiratory infection, which is when it requires ventilators and ICU care.
Other lower respiratory infections are caused by "inhalation of aerosolised material", "aspiration of upper airway flora" or by "hematogenous seeding".
So would it be possible to prevent the upper respiratory infection from becoming the more dangerous lower respiratory infection, by sealing recently diagnosed peoples Tracheas shut?
This would use an expanding seal, which has a tube through the middle to allow air flow to the lungs from a clean air source, bypassing the upper respiratory system.
The expanding seal and tube would be similar, in concept, to the plastic lid and straw that you get with a McDonalds cup.
If this works then it should reduce the number of Covid-19 cases that become the dangerous version, which requires ventilator support.
