Combined Ventilation of Two Subjects with a Single Mechanical Ventilator Using a New Medical Device: An In Vitro Study.

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created a sudden lack of ventilators. DuplicAR is a novel device that allows simultaneous and independent ventilation of two subjects with a single ventilator. The aims of this study are (a) to determine the efficacy of DuplicAR to independently regulate the peak and positive-end expiratory pressures in each subject, both under pressure-controlled ventilation and volume-controlled ventilation and (b) to determine the ventilation mode in which DuplicAR presents the best performance and safety.

A New Medical Device to Provide Independent Ventilation to Two Subjects Using a Single Ventilator: Evaluation in Lung-Healthy Pigs.

Background: The global crisis situation caused by SARS-CoV-2 has created an explosive demand for ventilators, which cannot be met even in developed countries. Designing a simple and inexpensive device with the ability to increase the number of patients that can be connected to existing ventilators would have a major impact on the number of lives that could be saved. We conducted a study to determine whether two pigs with significant differences in size and weight could be ventilated simultaneously using a single ventilator connected to a new medical device called DuplicARⓇ.