Project Spotlight: ARMEE Emergency Ventilator

Fundraising Underway to Support Non-Profit Ventilator Prototype Production, Regulatory Efforts

The Interstate Disaster Medical Collaborative (IDMC), a non-profit organization that provides a forum for collaboration, cooperation and coordination of disaster medical experts, assets and systems, announced today its ARMEE™ ventilator has entered its Design Verification Test (DVT) phase. To support IDMC’s emergency ventilator prototype production and regulatory efforts, the organization has initiated fundraising efforts.  

The ARMEE™ ventilation device (ARMEEVent.com), which stands for “Automatic Respiration Management Exclusively for Emergencies,” is based on technology developed in the 1960s by Harry Diamond Laboratories for the U.S. Army. Experts believe the simply-designed ventilator, that requires no electricity and has no moving parts, can help bridge the gap of urgently needed mechanical ventilation support during the COVID-19 crisis. ARMEE™ also represents an economical, rapidly deployable ventilation tool that can be utilized in almost any kind of emergency or disaster response.

To make a donation to this non-profit effort, please go to: ARMEE ventilator project

“We are confident the ARMEE™ ventilator will move quickly through its DVT phase and could soon be in the hands of medical professionals who need an emergency option for ventilation in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. ARMEE™ can also provide a much-needed tool for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the nation’s disaster response efforts,” said Brian Froelke, MD, President of IDMC and East Central Regional EMS Medical Director for Missouri. “In the months and years to come, as our nation rebuilds, in earnest, stockpiles of emergency supplies, we believe ARMEE™ will provide an option that is cost-effective, compact and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) proof.”

Overcoming Hurdles and Bridging the Gap

ARMEE™ overcomes the hurdles that plague many other device manufacturing efforts through its ability to pull from numerous potential production materials rather than relying on the components required by standard ventilator design. Many manufacturers are being hampered by competition for limited resources and materials, resulting in slower manufacturing processes and longer lead times. In addition to not requiring typical ventilator materials, ARMEE™ has an estimated cost of under $100 per unit and is economical to build. It can be mass-produced in days, not months, thereby increasing timely access by front line medical experts.  

Supplementing, Not Replacing Existing Technology

The purpose of the ARMEE™ device is to bridge gaps and to provide an immediately deployable emergency option for mechanical ventilation to first responders and emergency medical personnel in situations where access to standardized ventilation is either unavailable or inoperable due to specific local conditions. Because the protocol the engineers and doctors designed can be provided to manufacturers large and small nationwide, production of devices can be ramped up to meet demand within days. To maintain quality and safety standards, once regulatory approval is given, IDMC plans to support ongoing safety and quality improvement initiatives.