A Vital Hack Could Turn Medical Devices Into Ventilators

Whereas jailbreaks unlock functions that allow the installation of unauthorized apps and the accessing of log files and forensic data, Airbreak allows the AirSense 10 to work as a bilevel positive airway pressure machine, a device that many people refer to as a BiPAP.“Our changes bring the AirSense S10 to near feature parity with BiPAP machines from the same manufacturer, boost the maximum pressure output available, and provide a starting point to add more advanced emergency ventilator functionality,” Hudson and other researchers wrote on their website disclosing the findings.Bilevel positive airway pressure devices aren’t normally approved to treat patients suffering from Covid-19, but in the kind of ongoing emergency that’s confronting many hospitals, the Food and Drug Administration has temporarily approved their use as ventilators, provided the converted devices are fitted with filters to prevent aerosolization of the virus. When I asked about the significant reworking the company says is required to make the less expensive AirSense 10 models work this way, Moehnke replied, “CPAP- and APAP-only devices would require significant rework to deliver bilevel therapy.”Asked if ResMed was willing to work with the researchers to explore ways to convert the lower-cost models, the representative wrote, “We are already exploring that option, but our primary focus is to maximize production of our current ventilation devices, masks, and accessories.”Tuesday’s release of Airbreak will allow medical technicians and researchers to test the unadvertised features of the ResMed machines to see precisely how they might be used in emergency rooms struggling with a dangerous lack of proper ventilators.