Mercedes and UCL engineers develop Covid-19 breathing aid

The CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) device, which delivers oxygen into the lungs without the need for an invasive ventilator has been developed by engineers from UCL (University College London) and Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains; and clinicians at UCLH.

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CPAP machines are routinely used to support patients in hospital or at home with breathing difficulties. Unlike ventilators, which require heavy sedation and connection to a tube placed into the patient’s trachea, they work by pushing an air-oxygen mix into the mouth and nose at a continuous rate through a mask.

The devices have been used extensively in hospitals in Italy and China to help Covid-19 patients, and reports from Italy indicate that approximately 50 per cent of patients given CPAP have avoided the need for invasive mechanical ventilation.

“These devices will help to save lives by ensuring that ventilators, a limited resource, are used only for the most severely ill,” said UCLH critical care consultant Professor Mervyn Singer.