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Windsor

Device developed in Windsor awaiting Health Canada approval

Its creators call it nothing complicated, but for healthcare workers working on the frontlines of the pandemic, it could free up the hands of nurses to care for other patients.

A collaboration between St. Clair College, Automation Solutions Provider, and CenterLine in Windsor has resulted in a device that can automatically inflate and deflate a manual ventilator bag. It would "take over what a pair of human hands would normally do."

The device was developed after a brainstorming session last month when a group of people responded to a call to action from the Windsor Essex Ventilator Solutions Team.

Within a day of that meeting on March 21, CenterLine developed prints, and in two days, had a working prototype.

Since then, Larry Koscielski, the Vice President of Process and Technology Development, said they developed 11 systems leading to the final product.

Faculty at St. Clair College's Respiratory Therapy and BioMedical Engineering Technology programs consulted with engineers at CenterLine so they could understand how a person breathes.

"When you start to understand all the little things it has to do, and all the thought that's gone into it -- Like everything in life, breathing is incredibly more complex than we understood," said Koscielski. "Every interaction brought another level of understanding."

The next step for the device is approval from Health Canada. A letter of support from Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj and its Chief of Staff, Dr. Wassim Saad, has been sent to the federal agency. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens signed a second supporting letter.

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