Professors C. Nataraji, PhD, Alfonso Ortega, PhD and Garrett Clayton, PhD of the Mechanical Engineering Department have recently been awarded a patent for NovaVent, a low-cost ventilator system.  

The idea to create a new type of low-cost ventilator design came during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During this time, there was a ventilator shortage around the country and globe. This was primarily due to the high costs of the ventilators. In response to this crisis, a team of Villanova Engineering professors, practicing engineers, doctors and former students were assembled to brainstorm an emergency ventilator. 

“Whenever we partake in an interdisciplinary project, we need different perspectives,” Nataraji said. “These different perspectives allow us to accomplish great teamwork.” 

Even though the University was closed in April 2020, the team was approved to return to campus to work on the NovaVent project. The goal of the team was to create a low-cost ventilator system with urgency to combat the increasing fatalities occurring around the world. They aimed for the ventilator to cost between $500 to $1000, in comparison to the national average of $15,000 to $25,0000.

In response to the supply chain shortages during the pandemic, Nataraji explained how the team asked the question, “What is available in the U.S. market that we can use that is available in plenty to make the ventilators in a short time frame?”

The NovaVent team was able to complete the design for the ventilator in eight weeks. They submitted their patent design shortly after. The NovaVent ventilator is unique as it controls tidal volume, which ensures that enough that the patient has enough ventilation to breathe. The ventilator also supplies CMV at a rate of 90% of high-end ventilators. 

“The Villanova team launched the NovaVent initiative at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to help address a critical, worldwide ventilator shortage,” Amanda Grannas, PhD, Vice Provost,  Chief Research Officer and professor of Chemistry said in a University press release. “While we are luckily past that acute need, this ventilator could continue to provide societal and humanitarian benefits for years to come. We are so proud of the work of this interdisciplinary team and their success in developing cost-effective medical technology to benefit the global population.”

When asked about the future of the NovaVent Ventilator, Nataraji explained the various potential goals the team has. 

“We want to go where the needs are,” he said. 

Some potential avenues the team has considered for the ventilator is to distribute it to countries that do not have access to ventilators including many in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and East Asia. This would require a manufacturer and distributor. Also, NovaVent has been considered for a field ventilator which can operate in areas with no power.