Responding to the crisis with innovation

Faced with the public health challenges posed by the SARS COV-2 (Covid-19) pandemic, many teams have sought to respond to the difficulties facing the healthcare system. Whether manufacturing masks or developing vaccines, the challenge is the same: working differently, innovating in times of crisis, mobilizing knowledge to respond to emergencies.

This article offers feedback on the MakAir artificial respirator project, which emerged on March 16, 2020 in Nantes and was built around the collaborative platform model and the principles of open source software. The aim of the project is to respond "very quickly without compromising patient safety" to the urgency of the health crisis; this means setting up mass production of a medical device with materials available in times of crisis, current electronic components, and in compliance with medical protocols and regulatory...