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How we and our ecosystem help to fight the COVID-19
11. 05. 2020
Emergency lung ventilator
Our colleagues in DEX IC are also working on an open-source lung ventilator. When COVID-19 peaks, there might not be enough ventilators to help all the patients. For example in the USA, they might be lacking anywhere from 300.000 to 700.000 ventilators.
It is similar to design from MIT, however with a few changes that address today’s needs. At this time, it is very challenging to purchase all the parts for the assembly of the MIT design. Therefore, we address a challenge to design a ventilator, which can be almost fully assembled from parts of a 3D printer (e.g. power source, step motors, etc.) and other locally available parts.
It will serve as a device if no other means are available (will be used only in the case that there is no other way how to help the patient).
Our Alumni startups help too!
We run various startup programs (Accelerators, Bootcamp, Competition, Incubation) or programs of our key partners EIT Health and InnoEnergy while having tens of start-ups in Alumni network. And we are proud, that they support society in this fight too!
InoCure switched to manufacturing highly effective nanofibrous face masks and currently, they produce about 1600 masks per day! These masks then go to the hospitals and other facilities in need. If you are familiar with a sewing machine and want to help, write them an e-mail. They are currently looking for an investor ready to invest in face masks production lines.
Necestovka was helping Czech citizens to get home from abroad, where they got stuck due to lack of flights. Often the Czech embassy was also unable to help - simply because of the huge demand, there was no capacity on the planes. “I tried to help what I could. At one point I called 4 airlines to change, cancel or buy new tickets. At the same time, I was in contact with the embassy and combined options with state flights and repatriation buses” says Vojtěch Voříšek, CEO of Necestovka.
Thank you both, you are doing a great job during these times!
EIT Health initiatives
DEXIC is the EIT Health Hub for the Czech Republic – and the whole EIT Health helps as well! The EIT Health community is at the forefront of healthcare innovation and is well placed to play a crucial role in responding to the crisis.
Currently, there are many initiatives - starting with reusable medical masks, through faster and more reliable coronavirus tests to the rapid development of a vaccine. You can find the details at EIT Health website.
Do you seek partners or help in these times? Connect with innovators across Europe to find and share information and resources in the fight against COVID19. Can you help combat COVID19? Visit EIT Health's making connections platform to see if you can provide important and invaluable assistance.
Cooperation with Universities
We have recently become one of the institutions that cooperate with the Czech Technical University (CTU), Prague. They assemble highly effective masks for medical staff - those are even better than FFP3 respirators. The main component is a snorkelling mask that is connected to the 3D printed part with a filter that keeps the wearer safe. Unique is, that those masks are financed by crowdfunding – almost 5.000 people donated about 220.000 EUR.
Our role was 3D printing of the part that connects the mask and the filter. we have printed over 120 parts on Prusa MK3S printers in our DEXIC µFabLab. We distributed those parts to Technical University in Liberec (collection point for Liberec) and then it went to Prague for assembly. Now, they have more effective solution for making the parts - injection moulding.
CTU plans to create more than 10.000 of those masks that will be further distributed to the doctors and nurses in hospitals in the Czech Republic. Find out more about the initiative at https://covmask.cz/en.
