The Mercedes F1 team has made a breathing aid to help fight the coronavirus

Working at UCL's engineering hub MechSpace, the Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (Mercedes-AMG HPP) team began work on March 18^th, first deconstructing an existing Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine – which was originally designed to treat sleep apnoea – before creating an improved version that can be mass produced.

Similar devices have been used extensively in hospitals in Italy and China to help Covid-19 patients with serious lung infections to breathe, by pushing a mixture of air and oxygen into the mouth and nose at a continuous rate, keeping airways open and increasing the amount of oxygen entering the lungs. It helps to keep patients out of intensive care, by negating the need for sedated intubation (in which a tube is placed into the patient's windpipe and connected to a ventilator). It has seen a 50 per cent success rate elsewhere.

Of the device, University College London Hospital (UCLH) critical care consultant Professor Mervyn Singer (UCL Medicine), said: “These devices will help to save lives by ensuring that ventilators, a limited resource, are used only for the most severely ill.

“While they will be tested at UCLH first, we hope they will make a real difference to hospitals across the UK by reducing demand on intensive care staff and beds, as well as helping patients recover without the need for more invasive ventilation.”

Working around the clock, it took the combined teams less than 100 hours from the initial meeting to production of the first CPAP device. Reportedly, they have the tools and equipment to construct 300 a day for the NHS, a figure which could rise to 1,000 if other F1 teams contribute.

The device has now been recommended for use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), and 100 units will undergo clinical trials at UCLH the before being delivered to hospitals nationwide, ahead of the predicted peak in Covid-19 infections.

Professor Tim Baker (UCL Mechanical Engineering) added: “Given the urgent need, we are thankful that we were able to reduce a process that could take years down to a matter of days.

“From being given the brief, we worked all hours of the day, disassembling and analysing an off-patent device. Using computer simulations, we improved the device further to create a state-of-the-art version suited to mass production.

“We were privileged to be able to call on the capability of Formula 1 – a collaboration made possible by the close links between UCL Mechanical Engineering and HPP.”

The collaboration came as part of 'Project Pitlane', a collective of UK-based Formula 1 teams coordinating a response to the UK government's call for assistance with the manufacture of medical devices. The project will pool the resources and capabilities of the teams, implementing their expertise in rapid design, prototype manufacture, testing and skilled assembly.

Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, commented: “The Formula 1 community has shown an impressive response to the call for support, coming together in the 'Project Pitlane' collective to support the national need at this time across a number of different projects. We have been proud to put our resources at the service of UCL to deliver the CPAP project to the highest standards and in the fastest possible timeframe.”