Useful ideas for those of you owning a 3D printer. Unfortunately I don’t, but anyway:
Edit:
While at it, the following is a very important article shared also among physicians and epidemologists (currently read about 35 million times…). Linking this just to underline the importance of, and opportunity to, contributing with whatever expert knowledge you may have (it will be needed):
// Rolf
I was thinking about the same thing but I couldn’t find any plans of these ventilation machines. I thought about getting one step further, though. Using arduino to control the ventilation process.
Make sure you have some error handling and alarm systems in place… 
// Rolf
Some people are trying:
I wonder if computer fans can be used for ventilators? Other parts from (old) computers which can be used in healthcare?
This is the time to share good ideas. Experts already know this - existing health care capacity, even if doubled and tripled - will not be able to handle the peaks.
So, DIY Home ICU’s - if possible* - may save many lives.
// Rolf
.* It is important to not pretend to know or give direct advice about things outside your expertise, but things like copying equipment, or avoiding it due to patents for saving lifes (forget about patents in this context) is a no-brainer; just go ahead and do what needs to be done, if you can.
Depends whether you can get 15 years of dust out of them…
I am a bit cautious seeing that the article was written by a guy that’s all about money making through making things go viral, but it’s an interesting article and seems to be authentic.
Many are going to try to make money on this, but those who actually do (in a morally questionable way*) will regret it deeply when it dawns upon them what’s next to come. May God have mercy upon them.
// Rolf
(*) Companies are still “fueled” by making money, but greed will not be well taken by the masses.
I doubt it.
* - intentionally written with small letter
I’m not going to start an argument over this, but let’s say only that “we practice different spelling skillz”, OK?
// Rolf
I’m looking into switching up anesthesiology machines to ventilators. Computer fans are too low power, we need 120L/min flow if you’re interested in contributing.
What if you stack fan’s in series?
// Rolf
These fans are inefficient to create a necessary pressure.
They could be useful only to cool off the machine.
Of course they are inefficient. Optimal (energy) efficiency perhaps is not the end goal here though.
Hair-dryers? Serial & Parallel. If nothing better is available, of course it can be used, it’s only a matter of reaching a specification where it does the job. What is the pressure needed?
The job:
// Rolf
I didn’t mean energy efficiency, but aerodynamically, these fans are not build to create such flow of air. They usually don’t even create high pressure, their job is to take the hot air out of the PC box, which will flow naturally, but these fans cause it to flow faster.
The motor of the fan could probably be used (still very doubtful), but the blades, not.
What is the air pressure needed? ( as said, you can build that pressure up, + flow, depending on configuration).
There are a zillion Air Conditioners out there, everywhere. If motor control is too complex, the air pressure can be controlled with valves and… Well, engineers out there, look for it and you’ll find it.
// Rolf
“There’s always a solution” (-- me)
And Walmart stores full of (new) vacuum cleaners… Does that give enough air pressure and flow?
// Rolf
probably too much.
I’m not saying it can’t be done, it needs the necessary calculations done.
Possible and worth a look. Low power and high uptime is key to computer fans sound like a good idea.
I read you need 100 kPa pressure, is that the real value coming out of the machine?
If so, I think PC fans’s motors will overheat.