Formula One team Mercedes has supported to manifest a breathing aid that could retain coronavirus patients out of intensive care and alleviate some pressure on Britain’s strained health service.
Mercedes operated with engineers at the University College London and clinicians at University College London Hospital to modify and update a device that spans the passage linking an oxygen mask and the need for full ventilation.
The device, known as continuous positive airway pressure, has been utilised broadly in hospitals in Italy and China to transfer oxygen to the lungs of coronavirus patients throughout the pandemic.
UCL said the accommodated devices have been suggested for use in Britain and that 100 of them are being exported to its hospital for clinical analyses. There is the potential for prompt roll-out by Mercedes to hospitals across the country.
Tim Baker, a professor from UCL’s department of mechanical engineering, said clinicians called on the capability of Formula One to overcome a process that could take ages down to a matter of days, with the adapted device taking concise than 100 hours to develop from an initial meeting.
“We have been proud to put our resources at the service of UCL, said Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes, to deliver the CPAP project to the highest standards and in the fastest possible time frame.”
CPAP machines work by launching a mix of oxygen and air into the mouth and nose at a constant rate, assisting to boost the amount of oxygen penetrating the lungs. They are practised routinely by Britain’s National Health Service but are in compact supply currently.
There have been almost 20,000 verified cases of COVID-19 in Britain, with more exceeding than 1,200 deaths.
For most people, the new virus produces mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, particularly older adults and people with enduring health problems, it can produce more relentless illness, including pneumonia and death.
The F1 season has however to start, with the first eight races of the plan having been suspended or cancelled. It means there will be no racing until the middle of June at the most bush.
Mercedes is the foremost team in F1 with guarding champion Lewis Hamilton as its prime driver.
