THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024
VIKANT SAHAY
PANJIM: Goa Engineering College (GEC) is all geared up to design a low cost prototype of a ventilator in coming fifteen days.
A team of 20 engineers, students and alumni of GEC, have got together under Prof Ganesh Hegde and inspired by Haresh L Melwani, CEO, HL Nathurmal, an alumni of GEC, to design a ventilator which will be costing around Rs 20,000-25,000 as against the normal price of nearly Rs 2 lakh each.
The idea germinated in the first week of April. The team members who are located in Goa as well as different parts of the world, got together online and decided to go ahead with the project as Goa and India presently requires cheaper ventilators to fight the fast growing and increasing number of COVID-19 cases.
“With the help of our alumni, faculty and students we want to manufacture it (ventilators) in Goa itself. Due to lockdown it is getting difficult for us to get some parts and equipment but that has been sorted out and I am of the view that within next 15 days we will be able to produce a prototype which can be produced before Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for their clearance,” Dr Ganesh Hegde said.
Dr Hegde has been in touch with IIT Roorkee which became the first institute in India to come out with a low cost ventilator. “They are also in the final stage of getting approval from ICMR. We are having our own independent design which has been done already. Melwani and other senior alumni in the group are supporting us. After we get clearance from ICMR we would like to manufacture in Goa with the help of alumni,” said Dr Hegde.
Haresh L Melwani said that they are also trying to manufacture infra-red sensors which was currently being imported from China. “For automation you require sensing technology and we as a group of 20 alumni of GEC are trying to develop it here in Goa along with a low cost ventilator. The ventilator would hardly cost Rs 20,000-25,000 and it will have very advance features and easy portability. It will be totally made by indigenous products and due to shortage of ventilators in India I am sure it will sell once we get the clearance from ICMR,” said Melwani.
Nikhil Nayak a final year student doing IT engineering from GEC who is also the project manager is responsible for the software development of this project. “We are basically looking after the electronics and software modes which are essential for the ventilators to operate in different modes. We will be coding in the safety features etc and we cannot take any chances with this machine. It has to be full proof,” said Nikhil Nayak.
Akshay Arvind Nagvenkar who is an alumnus of GEC and works for a private company here in Goa, is responsible for the hardware of the project. “The procurement of parts was very difficult for us during this lockdown but it has been sorted out after we changed the design. However, we are just waiting for one sensor and I am sure we will get it soon. I think in another 15 days we should be able to develop the prototype,” said Nagvenkar.
Vardhan Prasad Kamat a final year Mechanical Engineering student from GEC who is also engaged in building the prototype is of the view that the team is very close to make ventilators in Goa itself. “Once we get the prototype done we will wait for the clearance from ICMR and then with help of our team members will also try to patent our product for our safety. However, once we register for patenting we will go ahead for production,” said Kamat.
