New York University Tandon School of Engineering students hope new designs will help save lives

A team led by a professor at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering is hoping their new designs will help save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
NYU Tandon's Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Vikram Kapila, has put together a team of about a dozen people and they're developing systems in an effort to help flatten the curve. 
Their first idea is the NYU Tandon Airmod. It is a system that uses CPAP and BIPAP machines that are commonly used for sleep apnea to help patients breathe while also trapping the virus and stopping the spread. 
"This could either prevent the need for ventilator if they get oxygen early on, and then with that therapy they improve it may delay the placement a ventilator. It might expedite them being removed from the ventilator,” said Kapila. 
They've even created videos to show people how to modify the machines for this use. 
Their second design is the NYU Tandon Airvent. It is a portable, personal negative pressure hood they've created using salon hair dryers.
" When you put this on the others will remain safer,” said Kapila. Kapila's team created these designs with the help of doctors and experts and they are currently being tested for use on patients.
 In the meantime, they are working on a way for medical professionals to use robots to care for dialysis patients to prevent contact and potentially spreading the coronavirus. 
Kapila tells News 12 his team is continuing to grind away and come up with new ideas to hopefully be able to make a difference. 
"If you're an engineer and there is this opportunity there where you might be able to contribute to save even one life that's a very strong motivation and incentive,” said Kapila. 
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