Low-Cost Bubble CPAP Kit and Oxygen Blender

Still In Development Last Update: January 11, 2013

Dr. Ashish Jain, of Hindu Rau Hospital in Delhi, India, has developed an improvised bubble CPAP device that relies solely on an oxygen source, water, and parts commonly found in neonatal intensive care units across India. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices are tools that treat respiratory distress syndrome resulting from lung immaturity in preterm infants. It is simpler and less invasive than mechanical ventilation, which places a tube in the trachea, potentially causing damage to infants' airways. In the developing world, CPAP is a resource currently largely untapped because they are expensive, require many resources (oxygen, electricity), and consist of individual parts that are difficult to acquire.