This low-cost oxygen generator could help save Covid-19 patients in rural areas

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City-based scientists have invented a new, low-cost oxygen generator to sustain emergency care Covid-19 patients, especially in rural areas where oxygen is in short supply.

The invention comes amid dwindling imports of oxygen concentrators due to the international lockdown.

A state government circular on April 17 had stated that all ICU beds marked for the treatment of moderate or severe Covid-19 patients have facilities for delivering high-pressure oxygen and compressed air.

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Associate Professor Praveen Ramamurthy of the Indian Institute of Science’s (IISc) Centre for Nano Science and Engineering, one of the centres behind the invention, downplayed the timing.

“The team has been working for the past two weeks with the aim of helping the country during the pandemic,” he said, describing the science behind the technology as relatively simple.

“At the heart of the system are cartridges made from zeolite, a volcanic ash that absorbs nitrogen. The oxygenator unit sucks in ambient air from the local environment and compresses it. The compressed air is passed through the zeolite filters, which absorb the nitrogen, allowing only oxygen and other gases to pass through. That is how the system concentrates oxygen, before delivering it to the ventilator,” he said, adding that lives could be saved with this technology, especially in rural areas.

The IISc team said their prototyping has reached version four and is capable of supplying up 70% oxygen concentration to the ventilator. They added that their final milestone is 90% oxygen concentration, which they expect to reach in a couple of days.

“We had hoped to finish on Friday, but there was a glitch as every small valve is difficult to source during this lockdown. We are stuck. Hopefully, in another couple of days, we should be ready with our final prototype,” Dr Ramamurthy said.

Although 90% commercial oxygenators exist, the IISc team revealed none of them are domestically made and the pandemic has stopped their supplies. Machines with oxygen flow rate of 10 litres per minute cost between Rs 40,000 and Rs 1 lakh.

"This unit, which uses locally sourced items, can also supply 10 litres per minute. It will cost between Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. This includes all electronics, low-cost compressors and zeolite available in abundance. The plan is to transfer the open source design, free of cost, to manufacturers,” Dr Ramamurthy said.