Charlotte valve to adapt a snorkel mask
DANIELA JARAMILLO
Huelva, April 7, 2020
Members of the Control and Robotics Research Group (TEP 192) join the international community in efforts to produce Charlotte valves using 3D printers as part of their initiatives to address the COVID-19 crisis. This valve, whose design is available under open license thanks to the company Isinnova in Italy, enables the adaptation of the Easybreath snorkeling mask at the Decathlon sports store and turns it into a device for the treatment of respiratory insufficiency that has already been successfully used in Madrid and Italy. For its part, Decathlon has blocked the sale of these masks and made them available to various hospitals nationwide.
The initiative of the Huelva research group is based on an express request from 061 for its use in patients affected by Coronavirus. The mask has been used with good results in mild cases of respiratory failure where intubation is not required.
