The Code Life Ventilator Challenge is a 2-week sprint to collect the best ideas from anywhere in the world to create or design life-saving ventilators. It’s a joint initiative between the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and the RI-MUHC.

Montreal, Canada — March 19th, 2020 — The Montreal General Hospital Foundation, in collaboration with the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), is launching a global innovation challenge, backed by a prize of $200,000 CAD. They are calling for teams to design a simple, low-cost, easy-to-manufacture and easy-to-maintain ventilator which could be deployed anywhere needed to save lives.

What we know

With potentially up to 70%[1] of the population on the brink of being infected by COVID-19, our worldwide health care systems will be strained beyond their limits. Even now, there aren’t enough ventilators to save everyone who needs respiratory support, and doctors are having to make agonizing decisions about whom to save. Our modern world provides the means to produce these life-saving ventilators thanks to widespread rapid manufacturing tools—3D printers, CNC machines— combined with low-cost computers (e.g. smartphones, Arduinos, etc.), but what we’re missing is a design.

The challenge

The goal is to design a low-cost, simple, easy-to-use and easy-to-build ventilator that can serve the COVID patients, in an emergency timeframe. It should be easy to build locally, its functionality must be easy to verify, and must meet the design requirements specified on the challenge website.

Leading researchers and medical staff at the Montreal General Hospital have assembled a committee of expert advisors (ICU physicians, engineers, etc.) who have defined specifications for this ventilator challenge and who will be judging submissions.

The top three designs will be available for free download to anyone who needs them, saving lives immediately. Start now, we have no time to lose!​ See the challenge rules here.

The challenge is powered by Agorize, a leading platform for open innovation challenges.

Registration

The deadline to submit your project is March 31, 2020.

http://bit.ly/CodeLifeMGH For more information and to enroll to the challenge:

We need YOU to design a simple, functional, reliable and easy to manufacture ventilator to provide life support to COVID-19 patients anywhere in the world.

About the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre

The mission of the RI-MUHC is to generate and leverage discovery and innovation to establish the MUHC as a world-class centre of excellence in patient-centred medicine. Excellence in clinical, evaluative and fundamental research will bring the innovations that will transform health care, providing an integrated view of disease and patient information with related therapies.

Visit: rimuhc.ca

About the Montreal General Hospital Foundation

Since 1973, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation (MGHF) has played a key role within the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) and the McGill University Health Network as a proud sponsor of significant medical R&D and technology development and acquisition. The MGHF now manages the third largest healthcare fund in Quebec, with $160 million in assets. In accordance with the wishes of donors, the funds raised by the MGHF go toward supporting patient care, research programs, acquiring cutting-edge equipment, and helping medical teams with their priority needs. Its leadership and strong relationships with the healthcare community have made the MGHF a sound advisor for donors as to where funds are most needed and can have the greatest impact.

Visit: Codelife.ca

Support the Ventilator Challenge

About Agorize

Agorize is the leading platform for open innovation challenges. We build bridges between businesses and a global community of 5 million innovators.

Visit: get.agorize.com

[1] Washington Post, March 11, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-forecasts-are-grim-its-going-to-get-worse/2020/03/11/2a177e0a-63b4-11ea-acca-80c22bbee96f_story.html

Media contact:

Sylvie Riendeau

Director, Communications & Marketing

Montreal General Hospital Foundation

sriendeau@codelife.ca

Tel: 1.514.575.1591