Haply Wins the CODE LiFE Ventilator Challenge | MGH Foundation
The Montreal General Hospital Foundation and the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center (RI-MUHC), in partnership with the McGill Faculty of Engineering, announced Team Haply from Montreal as the winner of the CODE LiFE Ventilator Challenge.
The CODE LiFE Ventilator Challenge was officially launched in early 2020 as a two-week global competition to design a low-cost, simple, easy-to-use, and easy-to-build ventilator for patients suffering from COVID-19.
The competition attracted more than 2,600 registrations, representing over 1,000 teams from 94 countries. After extensive testing and evaluation by experts in critical care, respiratory therapy, medical devices, and ventilator manufacturing, three finalist teams were selected.
Among the finalists, Team Haply was chosen as the overall winner.
The judges selected the Haply design because of its:
Simplicity in design and operation
Low production cost
Ease of training
Versatility
Expected robustness and reliability
Colin Gallacher, Co-Founder of Haply Robotics, described the challenge as one of the most rewarding experiences for the company.
He explained that the team was motivated by the unequal access to essential medical technologies such as ventilators between developed and developing countries, a problem that became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gallacher thanked the organizing committee, Professor Reza Farivar, the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, the RI-MUHC, and McGill University's Faculty of Engineering for creating such a meaningful initiative.
Thanks to the support of sponsors including Scotiabank, MD Financial Management, the Canadian Medical Association, Agorize, and several private donors, Haply received the remainder of its $200,000 prize.
Glen Gowland, Group Head of Global Wealth Management at Scotiabank, congratulated Team Haply and expressed confidence that the winning ventilator design would have a meaningful impact both in Canada and internationally.
Jean-Guy Gourdeau, President and CEO of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, praised the collaboration between organizations and innovators that resulted in a practical ventilator capable of saving lives.
Jim Nicell, Dean of McGill University's Faculty of Engineering, emphasized the importance of collaboration between engineering, medicine, and industry. He also expressed pride in Team Haply and looked forward to supporting the project through the final stages of regulatory approval.
Next Steps for Haply
Professor Reza Farivar congratulated all participants and finalists while emphasizing that the next priority was bringing the Haply ventilator to the millions of people worldwide who continue to have limited access to mechanical ventilators.
To help achieve this goal, McGill University's Faculty of Engineering launched the "Made for All" initiative.
The initiative aims to:
Obtain regulatory approval for the ventilator
Begin large-scale production
Keep manufacturing costs below $1,000 per unit
Make ventilators accessible to low- and middle-income countries
With additional support from the Montreal General Hospital Foundation and Joule, another $300,000 in funding was secured along with new partners providing specialized pro-bono support.
About the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC)
The RI-MUHC's mission is to generate innovative research that advances patient-centered medicine. Its work focuses on clinical, fundamental, and evaluative research to improve healthcare through scientific discovery and innovation.
About McGill's Faculty of Engineering
Founded in 1871, McGill University's Faculty of Engineering is one of the world's leading research-intensive engineering schools.
Its researchers develop solutions in areas including:
Sustainability
Manufacturing
Healthcare
Information Technology
Urban Planning
Architecture
The faculty also promotes entrepreneurship and innovation through the McGill Engine initiative.
About Haply Robotics
Haply Robotics is a Montreal-based company founded in 2018.
The company brings together engineers, designers, and artists dedicated to developing innovative haptic technologies.
Its expertise includes:
Haptic technology
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Software development
Virtual Reality (VR)
Augmented Reality (AR)
Medical training simulation
Haply specializes in building haptic systems that help surgeons and medical professionals train using realistic virtual and augmented reality environments while rapidly transforming ideas into physical products.
Original article: MGH Foundation.
Excerpt
The Haply design was selected as the best out of thousands of entries on the basis of simplicity in design and operation, as well as cost of production and ease of training.
