Shadman Jubaer, Michael Dziekan, Vicki Sell and Sudhanshu Manda will be honored at the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (Oct. 11-14) for winning the 2017 Engineering World Health Design Competition for their Low-cost Accessible AutoCPR project.

Engineering World Health indicated the Purdue team’s design contributes to ongoing engineering research to improve health care in low-resource environments.  The students also will receive a monetary award for winning the design competition.

Jorge Alfredo Uquillas, professor at the Universidad Internacional del Ecuador School of Medicine in Cellular Biology and Biochemistry, head of the Bioengineering-Biofabrication-Regenerative Laboratory at Axxis Hospital in Quito, Ecuador, and a Purdue alum, approached Weldon School senior design professor, Hyowon “Hugh” Lee, with a problem that surfaced during the country’s 7.8 magnitude earthquake last year that resulted in preventable deaths.

“He shared with us that there was a critical shortage of personnel to perform CPR during long transfer to hospitals,” Lee said. “We presented the problem, and this team of four students immediately gravitated toward this project given its potential global impact, especially in disaster-stricken developing countries.”

Using a low-cost drill motor, the team created a lightweight assembly that can repeatedly apply 150 pounds of force to a patient’s chest, duplicating the CPR process. An adjustable strap secures the unit, which is powered by a 12-volt battery.

The final manufacturing cost for the unit is $540, compared to competing products that cost $12,000.

Lee said the team worked throughout the 2016-17 academic year to develop the winning prototype. The innovative idea was developed in collaboration with Uquillas and his university medical students, who helped identify the user requirements for the AutoCPR machine. 

Dziekan is continuing his studies in Purdue’s College of Engineering as graduate student in mechanical engineering. The other team members have graduated and are pursuing their careers.

Source: Hyowon Lee, 765-496-2444, hwlee@purdue.edu