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University at Buffalo works to address ventilator concerns

A team of researchers is working to automate manual resuscitators that can squeeze air into people's lungs as long as someone's physically.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo is working on a way to solve the ventilator problem if Western New York sees a surge in cases.

A team of researchers from a variety of fields is working to automate manual resuscitators, which can squeeze air into people's lungs as long as someone's physically squeezing it.

They say automating it could solve any ventilator shortage with relatively inexpensive off-the-shelf materials.

"The basic of pushing air into the lungs and letting it come out passively, we can achieve that, and well already achieved it," Sanjay Sethi, a professor with the Jacobs School of Medicine, said.  "A couple of questions come in and to figure out how to test that, the durability of it. 

"When you put somebody on a ventilator, you're going to this thing running days on end. In terms of development, I think a couple of weeks more and we could have a very good working prototype."

Once they make sure it's compatible with hospital practices, they're hoping to get the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval to use it, and they will share the plans online so other countries can use it too.

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