
Open Ventilator Registry - 0x6a7872
https://github.com/openventilatorregistry/OpenVentilatorRegistry
======
killjoywashere
If you are building vents, please consider submitting your plan to the DoD:

[https://vulcan-
sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=2...](https://vulcan-
sof.com/login/ng2/submission?collectionUuid=24028d51-267f-4f10-a455-230a13055c12)

~~~
mhb
What is Vulcan and how is their elaborate signup/info requirement justified?

~~~
killjoywashere
It's a marketplace for innovators and special operating forces (SOF) who have
requirements, a place where the parties can resolve their mismatches. The
signup process has to strongly credential the various types of users with
legally binding access controls.

------
topbanana
In practice it's much easier to move the patient to the ventilator than vice
versa, and that's exactly what happens, at least in my country

~~~
hinkley
So for most of the rest of the world, moving sick patients across political
boundaries is going to be a hot potato nobody will touch. Autoclaving some
medical equipment and dropping it off somewhere else is probably much easier.

And then there are the problems of the ridiculously huge countries, like
China, the US, or Brazil, that most of the rest of the world simply fail to
fathom the enormity of distance-based logistical problems. Two of the largest
cities in just the contiguous United States are 4 and a half hours apart _at
the speed of sound_ , and there's a bigass mountain range in the middle that
you can't fly around. And it looks like a medical helicopter would take about
3 times as long, so moving sick people is a multiple of moving equipment. Even
New York City to Chicago would handily kill a patient drowning in their own
fluids before they arrived, and most first world countries are wider across
than that.

------
hackmiester
I know that "hosting and much more is still TBD," but I can contribute a
pretty snappy VM on a 1G symmetrical Internet/Internet2 connection. How do I
do that?

~~~
0x6a7872
You can request to join by opening an issue here:
[https://github.com/openventilatorregistry/OpenVentilatorRegi...](https://github.com/openventilatorregistry/OpenVentilatorRegistry)

------
lazyeye
Not sure this will work in practise. What hospital administrator will want to
send away their limited supply of ventilators in the current environment?

~~~
0x6a7872
Original idea:
[https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/health/ventilator...](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/opinion/health/ventilator-
shortage-coronavirus-solution.html)

During a crisis like this, the idea is to pool resources and create a nimble
distribution network. Hospitals that don’t need their ventilators can share
them, and if they need them they’ll know where to request them.

~~~
SkyPuncher
The problem is every hospital is forecasting a dire need for ventilators in
the next few weeks. COVID patients can take up a vent for nearly 3 weeks. Any
vent that's sent to another hospital right now will likely be gone for the
entire duration of this outbreak.

Anecdotally, my wife's hospital, in a rural county with 1 case, is already at
ICU capacity and pushing the limit on vents.

~~~
0x6a7872
Agreed this seems problematic and a significant challenge. Hopefully as the
shock has worn off and a clearer picture emerges in the coming months there
will be greater willingness to cooperate.

------
stevehawk
I feel like this is just going to end up being a website with no usage because
no one has spare ventilators. But I really hope they prove me wrong.

~~~
themantra514
First of all, big shout out to the Open Ventilation Registry crew! The
registry will be quite useful.

There's an a small global army of biomedical engineers, ICU doctors,
programmers etc. working very hard to have rapidly manufactured ventilators
designed, approved, and manufactured. I've seen some of the designs and
they're elegant, simple, just work. Yeah, they need fine tuning but that's
part of the process.

Humans are insanely awesome when they collaborate.

Hang in there humanity.

------
ankitgupta2801
Do you plan on this being a registry for US only, or you are planning to have
this as an international registry?

------
cachvico
Do you have any experience in supply chain logistics, the medical industry,
incident response?

There are already established systems. How will yours interface with the
existing / international norms?

------
atinchandel
I was trying something but found it difficult to pull through. If this can
help someone. Had some specs in place
[https://github.com/covid19-india/supplychain/wiki/Software-R...](https://github.com/covid19-india/supplychain/wiki/Software-
Requirement-Specifications)

------
sfkdjf9j3j
So what's the administrative process of transferring a ventilator from one
hospital to another like? Is there any precedent for this? I could see this
kind of thing working in a socialized healthcare system but in the US wouldn't
it create all kinds of liability and insurance problems?

------
mike_d
According to the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the United States has more
than 200,000 available ventilators. However we have less than 50,000 staff
trained in mechanical ventilation that can support a maximum of 125,000
patients. Furthermore, we only have 90,000 ICU beds to put patients in.

Yes the media is telling you there is a shortage, they don't understand that
the problem isn't a lack of machines.

~~~
jjeaff
50k staff and that can only support 125k patients?

So you are saying a person trained on the use of a ventilator can only support
a little over 2 patients on a ventilator? Are they sitting between the beds
and pedaling the machine?

These are $30k machines. I would think, especially in a crisis situation, a
single medical professional could probably handle a few dozen people on
ventilators if they had too.

~~~
mike_d
> So you are saying a person trained on the use of a ventilator can only
> support a little over 2 patients on a ventilator?

As I mentioned in the comment you replied to, the numbers are from the SCCM.
You aren't going to find a more authoritative source for accurate information.

> I would think, especially in a crisis situation, a single medical
> professional could probably handle a few dozen people on ventilators if they
> had too

If you don't believe the SCCM, California law and the California Respiratory
Care Board set the requirement as "a ratio of 1:4 or fewer each shift."

Short of a Cardiopulmonary Bypass Machine (basically a mechanical heart),
invasive ventilation is one of the most intensive "intensive care" treatments,
requiring constant monitoring and adjustment.

~~~
jjeaff
Im sure 1 to 4 is best case and best practice. In an emergency, I guarantee
someone can and will handle more.

Additionally, the 1 to 4 ratio doesn't match with the 50k number.

