Makair respirators to be sent to India to deal with coronavirus outbreak – MakAir
- Invented a year ago by a collective of makers, the artificial respirator MakAir will soon be sent to Indian hospitals.
- Already used in Madagascar, the device is still awaiting certification in France.
It is one of those incredible impulses born out of the pandemic. A year ago, a collective of Nantes makers gave birth to MakAir, a low-cost artificial respirator created “in start-up mode”.
The product, invented in just a few weeks by 250 entrepreneurs, industrialists, researchers or health professionals, raised hope as the country faced the first and dreaded wave of coronavirus. While the tension has been high in hospitals and particularly in intensive care units, the feared shortage of ventilators has (fortunately) not occurred. But the project, since mired “in the twists and turns of the French administration” according to its initiator Quentin Adam, takes a new breath abroad.
While the team of MakAir does not hide its “frustration” at still not having obtained “product certification” in France, around a hundred respirators will soon be heading to India, where contamination is still very numerous. “After discussions on the spot,
our industrial partner, Seb, has decided to finance and produce these respirators, welcomes Quentin Adam, head of the start-up Clever Cloud. There is an emergency and MakAir is responding to it, as is the case in Madagascar. We have patients there who have been treated with great success in a clinical trial. “
” The road is long “
It must be said that for a year, the team has continued to work to perfect the tool. The latest version, the V5, has gone from one to “five ventilation modes” (invasive, non-invasive, pressure control, etc.) in order to best suit different uses. Because the objective is no longer only to respond to the crisis situation linked to Covid. “The road is long but the motivation is still there and I sincerely believe that in the long term, MakAir will be recognized and used for its qualities in France,” continues Quentin Adam. It is a 15 times cheaper respirator that could make treatments that have not yet been simpler and more accessible. “
MakAir will soon create its foundation with a view to promoting the “open source” approach in the medical field. Objective, “to share knowledge around these devices with as many people as possible”, but also the ability to understand how they work and to manufacture them. MakAir plans are also available free of charge.