Comment Ventilators are expensive because of lawsuits (Score 5, Interesting) 107
It is awesome that a student group made a cheaper version. That cheaper version will likely save many lives if it goes into production. That said, realize that the engineering requirements for existing commercial units are much more stringent then what the engineering students had to work with. The commercial units have to do this due to lawsuits.
Commercial units log their usage, amount of air in/out, start and end times, etc. Most modern ones upload those logs to an online chart. They constantly monitor the flow of air during use, and sound an alarm if it fails. They self test the air monitor during use, and fire an alarm if failed. They also can run off a backup battery for 6-10 hours, depending on the model.
These are required due to people suing the pants off hospitals if a ventilator fails, as someone that needs one won't live very long if it fails.
It isn't like the engineers at the medical supply companies couldn't make a cheaper version. They just couldn't make a cheaper version that also met all the requirements put out by the legal department at the hospitals.