VIDEO: How 20-Year Old ABU Zaria Student Produced Manual Ventilator For COVID-19 Patients

Though it may appear to be an arduous task for his peers and even some acclaimed inventors, Mr. Usman Dalhatu, a 200-level student of Mechanical Engineering at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, in Kaduna State, has designed and produced a manual ventilator, to be used in treating coronavirus patients.

Usman Dalhatu, aged 20, told PRNigeria that he decided to fabricate the manual ventilator as part of the effort to assist the Federal Government contain the pandemic, whose cases has been on the rise in the country.

The young inventor from Gombe State revealed that it took him only two days to manufacture the ventilator.

He said with adequate funding and technical supports from expert-technicians, he can mass-produce the ventilator within the shortest period of time.

The Mechanical Engineering student said his evergreen dream is to become a celebrated mechanical engineer that will be fabricating machines, among other amazing technological inventions, that will make work easier for people.

He also disclosed that the ‘Extra Clean Machine’ which he designed and produced has already gotten a patent and trademark certificate, and is currently been sold in Abuja and Gombe State.

According to him,”I have equally manufactured an electric cooking stove. I have several projects I am presently working on. But I am appealing to the government to patronize my products, and also assist me in any other relevant way.’’

PRNigeria gathered that the manual ventilator produced by Usman Dalhatu comprises of a motor, a disk that converts circular motion into linear motion, shaft, Carbon dioxide intake and outlet, Oxygen outlet, and a voltmeter.

Other components of the machine include the control button, speed increasing point, battery, charging point, and Oxygen mask.

A lecturer at ABU Zaria and Head of Bio-fuel Engines and Emission Research Group, Dr Kaisan Muhammad Usman, who is Dalhatu’s mentor, described his student as gifted tech-savvy.

Speaking with PRNigeria, Dr Kaisan, said Usman Dalhatu did a great job by manufacturing the manual ventilator, which according to him, will boost local content development, especially in the area of scientific and technological innovation by upcoming creative minds.

He said, “This is an invention that will greatly assist Federal Government’s fight against COVID-19.’’

The lecturer, who is the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Coordinator of Mechanical Engineering Department at the institution, said that the ventilator produced by Dalhatu is a simple one that can be re-manufactured easily.

The Lecturer urged the government to mass-produce it, saying “doing so will assist the country in case of emergency.”

He maintained that: “All the materials which Dalhatu used in producing the ventilator were sourced locally. Most of them were gotten from unused and damaged parts of cars, machines and various metals.”

He added that “Sometimes, producing components locally for our staff and students’ mechanical projects, like that of Dalhatu, is a serious challenge. This is aside from the issue of inadequate or lack of sufficient funding. But, be that as it may, our Department, Faculty and the University, itself, have done a lot in terms of supporting, promoting and funding research activities. The result can be seen in the numerous outstanding mechanical and technological inventions by our staff and brilliant students such as Usman Dalhatu.’’