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We need engineers capable to help on optimising hardware, software and user interface of existing open source syringe pump designs, so that medical doctors can use the pumps without a steep learning curve.

Problem and Background

Facing SARS-CoV2 pandemic crisis, the Paris Hospitals Association (AP-HP) suffers a shortage of Syringe Pump Systems (SPS) in many intensive care units (ICUs).

Every single patient in the ICU needs 3 to 5 syringe pump systems in order to administrate multiple drugs simultaneously, for sedation, analgesia and circulatory support for example.

The shortage of SPS has already begun with phase 3 of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, as the need for intensive care keeps growing all around the world. As reported, in major hos- pitals in Paris, France (such as Hôpital Bichat or Lariboisière), there is a huge lack of syringe pump systems in ICUs. As a result, nurses are required to administrate all the drugs in a single intraveinous drip, which can be deleterious for the patient.

In other countries such as Africa for example, nurses have no choice but to push the sy- ringe by hand during several hours continuously.

S

olution summary in simple terms

The current cost and the manufacturing process of a standard Syringe Pump System (SPS) is not appropriate for the existing crisis, as we have to reinvent in a very short amount of time a new way to provide ICUs with a local and fast access to reliable SPS.

This SPS has to be cheap (regarding the amount needed and the cost of existing models), easy to make, intuitive to use, and as universal as possible, in order to be built in emerging countries as well.

Solution summary in technical terms

Our idea was to create an open-source low-cost SPS suited for a hospital use.

The Poseidon syringe pump system, made by Booeshaghi et al. is an open-source 3D- printable SPS design, initially created for laboratory purposes, appears to be the ideal candidate for adaptation to hospital use.

(Nature, Sci Rep 9, 2019 Aug, Principles of open source bioinstrumentation applied to the poseidon syringe pump system)

Specifications of a standard SPS used in ICU, the Injectomat MC Agilia F was used in order to make our product calibrated to usual standards.

State of advancement of the project

We recruited dozens of biomedical engineers and developers from different countries to work together and get this device ready for mass production as quickly as possible.

The first prototypes, ready for lab testing, were sent this week to AP-HP biomedical engineers and some engineering French universities such as Institut des Arts et Métiers.

We also planned an evaluation of our device by fifty nurses, who represent the main users of SPS, in order to compare our product to the Agilia/Fresenius model.

👉 For further information, look for the pdf attached in the "Documents" Tab of this project.