Low-cost Portable CPR can save lives | Fusion - WeRIndia

In India, sudden cardiac arrest kills lakhs of people each year. Studies showed that around 2,000 per day and 80 per hour are dying due to this.

There are many reasons for this including the lack of life-saving equipment and expensive treatment.

In this context, two IIT Gandhinagar students developed a low-cost portable CPR device.

The two students are Kratika Bhagtani and Karthik Karvaje. Kratika is from Rajasthan. Her father is a doctor. Her father mentioned her how several patients died on their way to the hospital due to lack of on-time lifesaving equipment.

Karthik is from Karnataka. He says that several people are dying due to lack of proper CPR.

Hence, the duo wanted to design a low-cost and portable device to be used easily.

The portable CPR device is approximately equal to the size of a laptop. It weighs less than 1kg. It is very simple to use. One just needs to rotate the handle to operate. Instead of manual operation, a small electric motor can be used.

The CPR is efficient enough to perform chest compressions at a proper depth and optimal rate, indicate the compression rate, ventilate lungs and maintain an open airway.

The duo developed this portable CPR device under the Invent@IITGN programme. This is a unique programme that originated in the USA and was conducted for the first time in India.

20 selected students from IITs in the country had participated. The students were grouped into ten teams with two students in each group. Each group was given a budget of up to ₹50,000 to build, refine and test its prototype. The best inventions were awarded grand prizes.

The duo spent just ₹6,000 to design the prototype CPR device. They say it would not cost more than ₹10,000 if it is commercialized.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia