CEREBRA HEALTH
BREATH OF LIFE Winnipeg Ventilator to be deployed across Canada BY JIM TIMLICK A Winnipeg-based medical services company has a leading role on the frontlines of Canada’s fight to subdue the novel coronavirus. Cerebra CEO Dawson Reimer says his company is grateful for the opportunity to be part of the country’s emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
the field of respiratory technology, was called upon early on in the pandemic to help the federal government coordinate its emergency response. The Winnipeg Ventilator was drafted into service a short time later. Unlike most other ventilators, it doesn’t require an external air pressure delivery system and it uses a unique frictionless piston design. Part of its appeal is the simplicity of its design. It can be produced more quickly and more cheaply than most ventilators because it uses off-the-shelf components that are readily available. “Most other ventilators require components that are very specialized and provided by only a few companies, which means you cannot really increase production very easily. The electronics in this are mostly circuit boards, which is bread-and-butter in terms of electronics,” Younes explains.
“We’re not happy when we see our numbers rise any more than anyone else is, but it’s happening all over the world and we’re glad to be part of the solution,” Reimer says. “Truth be told, we all hope they get purchased and never need to be used.” As part of its contribution, Cerebra engineers have helped to modernize the design of the Winnipeg Ventilator to meet current demands of the country. The company is also responsible for conducting clinical testing of the device. The actual manufacturing of the ventilators will be handled by Celestica, with Starfish Medical serving as the lead engineers. Younes, who is regarded as a world leader in
Cerebra was chosen earlier this year by the Next Generation Manufacturing Supercluster — the organization coordinating Canada’s medical-equipment supply — to help provide as many as 7,500 units of its Winnipeg Ventilator 2.0 to hospitals across the country. It was selected by a national consortium of engineers and manufacturers tasked with boosting the supply of ventilators. The original Winnipeg Ventilator was conceived nearly 30 years ago by Dr. Magdy Younes, an intensive-care physician and scientific founder of Cerebra. It has since been used extensively in ICUs around the world and during the SARS crisis of 2003.
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WINTER 2020
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