The prototype of the ventilator was designed and prepared by a team of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. As bme.hu and vik.bme.hu reported, the Hungarian-developed pulmonary ventilators are capable of invasive and non-invasive medical ventilation. The equipment were presented on the 28th of May, 2020 to goverment officials. After the pilot run production, the serial production of the first 1000 pieces also started.

Experts from both the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and from several Departments from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, were involved in the project and worked according to the guidance of Head Physician Jenő Elek.

"The group have created two kind of prototypes: one of them is PLC-based, i.e. operated by a programmable logic controller available on the market; the other variant is a microcontroller-based special one with individually developed electronics".

With nearly 20 experts from a number of Departments of the Faculty took part in the development team like AUT, IIT, VET, (later the HVT), and we, the Department of Electronics Technology. The team was coordinated by the Department of Measurement and Information Systems (MIT) and lead by Tamás Dabóczi (Head of Department).

We would like to highlight, that ETT‘s Surface Mount Technology Laboratory played a major role in the prototype production of the electronics. As BME.hu says: "The state-owned company, BM Heros Zrt. is doing the serial production, based on the production- and assembling processes established by BME researchers. Furthermore, it also has to be pointed out, that the university professionals helped not only in the design and the manufacturing, but in the procurement and production of the special modules and components necessary."

As reported by BME VIK: "Interior Minister Sándor Pintér have requested BME Rector János Józsa, on the 12th March, 2020, to start and coordinate a medical ventilator-development project based on the knowledge of university professionals. Our high-class experts of safety-critical system development, mechanical and electronic design, software development, production, fluid mechanics, mechatronics and materials science have completed this multidisciplinary task of diverse areas during a few weeks, as BME already has the high-level technical knowledge for innovation - and the necessary modern equipment. Furthermore, BME benefits from its extensive industrial - mainly subcontractor - partnershift. The development schedule was accepted by the Ministry of Interior (BM) of Hungary, the financial resources for the prototype were covered by the Ministry of Technology and Innovation (ITM) through the National Reserch, Development and Innovation Office (NKFIH)."

Source: BME.hu, BME.VIK.hu

Photo: MTI/Mónus Márton