UCL-Ventura team behind CPAP breathing aid wins prestigious Alex Moulton award

UCL mechanical engineers worked with Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains engineers and doctors from University College London Hospital (UCLH) to reverse engineer a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device in record time, gaining regulatory approval in 10 days. The UCL-Ventura device is now helping patients in more than 25 countries across the world.

In recognition of these efforts the UCL-Ventura team has been awarded this year’s Institution of Engineering Designers’ Alex Moulton Award. Prof Tim Baker (UCL Mechanical Engineering) picked up the award at a ceremony on 9 October on behalf of the team.

Prof Baker (above) said: “I’m very proud to represent the entire team in collecting this award on their behalf. It is an honour for the UCL-Ventura team to be added to the roll call of such eminent past-winners. Thank you to the hundreds of individuals and companies who contributed to the project, and especially to UCL for their unwavering support. There are so many people around the world who have been helped as a result.”

At the start of the pandemic, CPAP devices were used extensively in China and Italy to help Covid-19 patients breathe more easily, but the devices were in short supply in UK hospitals. Engineers at UCL and Mercedes-AMG HPP worked round-the-clock alongside UCLH’s doctors to reverse engineer a device that could be manufactured rapidly by the thousands. The UK Government ordered 10,000 devices and the order was completed within 15 days, reaching over 130 NHS hospitals. 

Crucially, the team also wanted to contribute to the global humanitarian effort. UCL supported the free release of full design and manufacturing instructions to establish local manufacturing hubs globally. The designs have been downloaded over 2000 times across 105 countries. The UCL team have supported local manufacture, testing, regulation and training, with at least 24,000 devices manufactured by other teams.

UCL-Venturas are now helping to save lives in over 25 countries including Peru, Mexico, Palestine, Uganda, Pakistan, India, South Africa and Ecuador. The UK government has also sent almost 1300 devices as part of emergency supplies to India and Nepal to combat surges in cases.

The Alex Moulton Award was introduced in 2009 by the IED on behalf of Honorary Fellow, Dr Alex Moulton, to recognise outstanding innovation. Previous winners include Andrew Ritchie of the Brompton Bicycle, Pete Lomas of the Raspberry Pi and Jonathan Ive, Apple’s long-term design lead.