Stranded man designs and builds COVID ventilator

Dubai resident stranded in South Africa builds ventilator in his father’s home workshop.

Johannesburg, Gauteng, May 26, 2020: Mr. PJ Blignault and his daughter landed in South Africa on the 28th of March 2020 with a planned visit of 2 weeks to renew his daughter’s passport.

With COVID 19 just taking its toll on society the department of home affairs was unable to process as many applications per day as they would normally do. This led to the passport application only being submitted the day before the lockdown.

Trapped in South Africa and staying with his dad, Mr. Blignault decided to put his time to good use and designed and built a ventilator in his father’s home workshop. “I did a rough design and cut the first version of the ventilator out of sheet metal by hand, bent the mental and welded it together, just to test the concept. Once the concept was proven I spent a bit more time refining the design and then had the pieces professionally cut and bent” said Mr. Blignault.

According to him the ventilator was designed and built as an emergency interim life support ventilator that will compress a BVM (Bag valve mask) used by first responders and in emergency situations. The ventilator is not meant to replace a normal ventilator, but the current shortage in the market and especially in rural Africa this and similar ventilators could prove critical.

When asked what makes his design different from other ventilators Mr. Blignault said, “The philosophy behind the design and build of this ventilator was to create the most robust, and easy to use and repair ventilator possible. I wanted to create a cost-effective ventilator from parts that will be readily available in any African country. I wanted the ventilator to have as few moving parts and electronics as possible. This will allow for a robust product that can be used with confidence and repaired by anyone with a little technical knowledge. I saw a lot of designs online but they all had loads of electronics and fine gears and moving parts. The aim was to make a simple and robust system”.

The ventilator is also fitted with external 12-volt connectors that will enable to machine to be powered with any battery or solar system available. Making it ideal for rural utilization. Mr. Blignault said that he is working on offering an optional solar panel and power pack that will be sold with the ventilator.

Regarding approval Mr. Blignault said that they are working with individuals to try and get approval in South Africa, even though it’s not very likely unless exception is made due to the current situation. “We own a manufacturing company in Dubai that will produce and sell the ventilator into Africa” said Mr. Blignault.

“We are hoping to be able to return to our home in Dubai soon and will set the ball rolling on manufacturing. I am estimating that we can manufacture approximately 50 per week to start with and then be able to ramp up production if the need arises.

We are looking to make the ventilator as affordable as possible, with an estimated retail price of R 10000 to 15000”.

As of this article Mr Blignault and his daughter is still stranded in South Africa with his wife and son in Dubai.

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