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 (COVID-19) patients.
Usman Dalhatu, who just clocked 20, told PRNigeria he decided to fabricate the manual ventilator as part of an effort to assist the Federal Government (FG) contain the pandemic, whose cases has been on the rise in the country.
The young inventor, who hails from Gombe State, revealed that it took him only two days to manufacture the ventilator.
With adequate funding and technical supports from expert-technicians, he said, he can mass-produce the ventilator within a short period.
Dalhatu 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.
The ABU Zaria undergraduate, 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.
“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,” he stated.
PRNigeria gathered that the manual ventilator produced by 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 control button, speed increasing point, battery, charging point, and Oxygen mask.
A lecturer at ABU Zaria and Head of Bio-fuels Engines and Emission Research Group, Dr Kaisan Muhammad Usman, who is Dalhatu’s mentor, described his student as gifted tech savvy.
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Dr Kaisan Usman said 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.
“This is an invention that will greatly assist Federal Government’s fight against (COVID-19),” he said.
The lecturer, who is the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) Coordinator of Mechanical Engineering Department at the institution, explained that the ventilator produced by Dalhatu is a simple one that can be re-manufactured easily.
He urged the government to mass produce it, saying “doing so will assist the country in case of emergency.” He said: “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.”
Dr Kaisan Usman, further disclosed that Dalhatu had demonstrated uncommon innovative capacity immediately he was admitted into their university and department.
A situation, he said, compelled the Dean of their Engineering Faculty to link him up with Dalhatu for sound mentorship, and technical guidance on aspects that are beyond his knowledge and capacity, despite his sheer talent.
Dr Kaisan Usman added that aside Dalhatu, there abound other promising students in their department that have shown talents in designing mind-blowing machines, and other mechanical gadgets, but are terribly constrained by funding to produce them.
“Sometimes, producing components locally for our staff and students’ mechanical projects, like that of Dalhatu, is a serious challenge. This is aside 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,” he added.
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