"Made In Mexico” Developments to Face COVID-19

Mexico has joined clinical trials and global efforts to face the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has also started research of its own. Developments and independent initiatives from the public and private sector have come to light amid the pandemic, all with the goal of offering a helping hand to the nation.

One of the most recent announcements were the two CONACYT ventilators Ehécatl 4T and Gätsi. Ehécatl 4T was designed and manufactured by the Industrial Engineering and Development Center (CIDESI) of CONACYT, while Gätsi is the result of the joint effort between the private company Dydetec, CONACYT and CIDESI. The Head of CONACYT mentioned that with this initiative, Mexico could stop acquiring foreign equipment and start producing its own equipment.

Another outstanding development regarding ventilators was that of INCMNSZ. “Years ago, the institute developed a ventilator that mimics the workings of a syringe. We took this prototype and designed an engine that would move a cam to drive a piston and push the air,” said José Guillermo Domínguez, Deputy Director of the Critical Medicine Area at INCMNSZ, in an interview with MBN. The development of the prototype was solely intended to be used during the pandemic. It complies with all safety and regulatory measures and has already passed the first stages of approval from COFEPRIS. He also highlighted that the Institute received active collaborations form actors like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tecnológico de Monterrey, UNAM, IPN and companies like FEMSA and Metalsa.

During the early stages of the pandemic in Mexico, Mexican company Arroba Ingeniería worked on a transfer capsule development to safely transport COVID-19 patients in an ambulance, offering extra protection to professionals attending other patients. “The project was designed together with a biomedical engineer that has an ambulance service company. With the expertise of Arroba Ingeriería, we were able to create a transfer capsule that complies with regulatory requirements and that offers guidance for assembly and use, making it an important device during the pandemic,” said CEO of Arroba Ingeniería Juan Dovarganes. The project was so successful that the company began talks with the UN to manufacture 1,000 capsules and distribute them troughout the country.

As the new normality begins, other developments have arisen as a response to the sanitization measures needed to ensure safety. Scholars from Universidad de Guanajuato have developed a safe and environmentally friendly formulation of new suspensions with antiviral and antimicrobial photocatalytic properties to be used as a disinfectant for public spaces as lockdowns ease in Mexico. According to the developers, the suspension is able to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 of surfaces and their active components are able to keep the area protected for up to 60 days. They have called this development “BGRN Shield” for its protective nature on surfaces, clothes, paint and covers.