What is the purpose of custom valves for snorkel masks?

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Purpose of Custom Valves for Snorkel Masks

Custom valves are designed to fit full-face snorkel masks, enabling them to connect to standard BiPAP machines. This connection allows for the delivery of pressurised air to patients, which is crucial for preventing the collapse of alveoli, the lung air sacs responsible for oxygen intake and carbon dioxide exhalation. The primary objective of this adaptation is to serve as an alternative to intubating patients and placing them on mechanical respirators, particularly in situations where these critical medical devices are in short supply.
Enabling BiPAP Machine Connection for Respiratory Support

The custom valves are engineered to attach to the top of full-face snorkel masks, replacing the standard snorkel fitting. This modification allows these non-medical masks to interface with BiPAP (bilevel positive airway pressure) machines. These machines provide a continuous flow of pressurised air, assisting patients with severe respiratory difficulties to maintain adequate lung function.
Preventing Alveoli Collapse in Respiratory Distress

The pressurised air delivered via the adapted snorkel masks serves a vital physiological function. It helps to keep the alveoli, the tiny air sacs within the lungs, from collapsing. In conditions like Covid-19 pneumonia, these sacs can become inflamed and fill with fluid, impairing gas exchange. The positive pressure from the BiPAP machine counteracts this tendency for collapse, facilitating the essential intake of oxygen and the expulsion of carbon dioxide.
Alternative to Intubation and Mechanical Ventilation

A significant purpose of this innovation is to circumvent the need for tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilators. With a global shortage of respirators due to the high number of Covid-19 patients, this snorkelling mask solution offers a potential stop-gap measure. It aims to provide respiratory support for patients who are approaching the need for intensive care but for whom ventilators or intensive care unit beds are unavailable.
Facilitating 3D-Printed Connector Development

The development of these custom valves has involved 3D printing technology. At Erasme Hospital in Brussels, a private spin-off, Endo Tools Therapeutics, has leveraged its expertise in 3D printing for medical applications. This has led to the creation of new plastic valve connectors, which have now been 3D-printed and are ready for testing, representing a tangible step towards implementing this solution.

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What is the purpose of custom valves for snorkel masks?

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