VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

All health facilities are still used to well treat Covid-19 patients. Based on https://covid19.go.id/-19, the number of patients with confirmed cases of Covid-19 reached 2,527,203 per July 11, 2021. The availability of tools, such as a ventilator breathing, becomes very important in helping to handle the number of critical patients of Covid-19 increasing in every health facility. Therefore, researchers from the Research Center for Electronics and Telecommunications, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Eko Joni Pristianto and his teamare developing a ventilator named ‘SIVENESIA’ (Smart Innovative Ventilator Indonesia) with two operating modes CPAP and BiPAP.CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) mode is a ventilator that produces a level of positive air pressure that is constant and continuously given to the patients with the aim of keeping the patients’ respiratory tract open. While the BiPAP (Bi-level Positive Airway Pressure) mode is a ventilator that can produce two different levels of positive air pressure, namely when inhaling (inspiration) and when exhaling (expiration), making it more comfortable for patients to use because it will follow breathing rhythm while maintaining the required end-expiratory pressure or PEEP (Positive end-expiratory pressure).

Researcher Eko Joni explained that the CPAP and BiPAP ventilators are usually recommended by doctors for patients with sleep apnea (serious sleep disorders), which is a symptom where the patients’ respiratory system stops for a while during sleep. This, of course, will result in a bad quality of sleep of the patient. The CPAP or BiPAP ventilator mode is a pressure-based ventilator mode, which aims to prevent airway obstruction, such as the symptoms experienced by many COVID-19 sufferers, and to train the respiratory muscles before the patient can breathe normally. According to Eko, CPAP and BiPAP are classified as the most effective non-invasive treatment systems (without surgery) and are the first and most widely used options for patients with respiratory problems.

Eko also explained that the purpose of using this ventilator is to keep the patients’ respiratory tract open, while the basic difference between the CPAP and BiPAP modes is comfort when the patients breathe. In CPAP mode, the ventilator will work by providing a continuous (constant) flow of positive pressure air through the tube to the nose or through the mouth; this can cause fatigue (un-comfortability) for the patients, especially during the exhalation process, the patients must use more force to resist the pressure. This problem will be very disturbing, especially for certain patients who have neuromuscular disease (an extensive group of disorders characterized by motor changes produced by injury or nerve disorders). Meanwhile, for BiPAP mode, this type of ventilator will provide different pressures when the patients breathe (inspiration) and when the patients exhale (expiration) so that they will be more comfortable in breathing while maintaining the required Positive end-expiratory pressure. Because this ventilator is a medical device that functions as a breathing tool, the use of this ventilator mode must be with the advice, instruction and supervision of a doctor.

SIVENESIA has gone through the testing phase. Next, Eko Joni Pristianto and his team will conduct a SIVENESIA clinical trial as the further step to obtain a distribution permit as a form of dissemination of their research results.