Arthur Erdman, Ph.D.

The University of Minnesota’s Department of Mechanical Engineering is proud to announce that Professor Arthur Erdman has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)—one of the highest professional honors for engineers.

Professor Erdman was recognized for his contributions to kinematics, mechanical design education, and applications for machines and products. As the founding director of the Earl E. Bakken Medical Device Center and the Richard C. Jordan Professor in Mechanical Engineering, he has made significant advancements in biomedical engineering, mechanical design, and medical device innovation… Continue reading.

In response to COVID-19, the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center has built a homemade ventilator. This device represents a rapidly scalable opportunity for healthcare providers to provide life sustaining mechanical ventilation to patients for whom no other option currently exists. The mechanical ventilator is simple to use for ICU-trained medical providers, it is compact (the size of a cereal box) and relatively inexpensive to manufacture and distribute. This device does not require a pressurized oxygen or air supply unlike commercially available mechanical ventilators.

In collaboration between the University of Minnesota, local industry leaders, and individual donors, we are able to acquire the necessary components for prototypes required to test and prove the concept. The team is hoping to ramp up and provide enough ventilators to help alleviate the stress on the healthcare system in the wake of COVID-19. All ventilators will currently ship from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Your gift will benefit the Earl E. Bakken Medical Devices Center educational, research, and outreach programs, with the main priority right now being the COVID-19 ventilator project.

• Coventor Emergency Ventilator – Adult Manual Resuscitator Compressor
• Project Crowd Fund Website
• Read Updated News on Coventor