Q&A: From manufacturing outdoor living pods to ventilator prototypes

Ian Bolland spoke to Ross Hunter, chief executive of Armadilla Ltd, after Hunter was listed as a finalist in the CoVent-19 Challenge. They discussed the Core Vent prototype which has made him the UK’s only finalist in the challenge, and switching from the day-to-day business of manufacturing outdoor living pods and garden offices in response to the global health emergency.

Ian Bolland: Firstly, tell us about what you normally do for a living?

Ross Hunter: I’m the chief executive and head of design and development at my family business near Edinburgh, Armadilla Ltd. We manufacture luxury outdoor living pods and garden offices. My main role is developing new concepts and ideas. I’m a strong believer in disruptive design and embracing technology where possible. I suppose I am one of those fortunate people who has a job that is a passion and where I can constantly challenge myself.

IB: How have you found switching to making a ventilator?

RH: I have a design and mechanical engineering background and love making and inventing – and growing up on a farm gave me the tools to become hands on and practically minded. I was brought up with an attitude of ‘we can do that’.  

I knew my limitations and felt that a fully functioning ventilator was a bit ambitious when the call for ventilators went out. But the CoVent-19 Challenge was different as it was looking for the most basic and cost-effective ventilator design. I saw this as a real challenge.

I’ve recently been working on a new concept for speciality coffee machines in my spare time and I realised this design could be adapted for a ventilator. 

The hardest part was understanding the terminology used and what that actually meant in a physical form. My design uses a novel feature for PEEP (Positive End-Expiratory Pressure). I believe my lack of understanding of conventional ventilator technology actually gave me an advantage – it helped me think outside the box. 

The experience has been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. I’ve been solving problems and learning a totally new branch of the life science sector. A lot of energy and time is spent learning and understanding very detailed aspects and posed the biggest challenges.

But I’ve relished a new challenge and it’s been great to find a really worthwhile way of using my skills and experience. It has kept me busy alongside my normal day job designing products for Armadilla which recently won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation. 

IB: Tell us about your ventilator, what went into its production? If you can, tell us about the materials and any components as much as possible.

RH: A Core Vent takes an alternative approach to a traditional “bellow” ventilator system and was distilled into the most critical elements of a ventilator.

It was kept simple and that is why the bellows were enlarged so that the inhalation and PEEP functions could be contained in one simple system. The larger bellows allow for an ‘extended’ stroke during the exhalation phase to maintain a controllable PEEP. 

The main electronics and drive mechanism will be a pre-manufactured self-contained part that can be operational on its own. But it was designed in a way that the chassis and O2 bottle supports could be manufactured closer to the area where the ventilators are needed. We have just successfully completed the concept stage and have a working prototype, but I can see many changes that will be required when we get the lab spec test equipment.

Core Vent could also be supplied in ‘kit form’ where all the essential components come in a box to be assembled at a facility close to end use. 

Once manufactured, the Core Vent product would be available for a fraction of the cost of current ventilators.

IB: Is the life science sector something you might look to stay in going forward?

RH: Who knows what the future holds? I am very much rooted in and committed to my company, Armadilla, and my training is certainly not geared towards medical equipment. But, as I said, I do love a challenge.

IB: After the UK government issued a call for ventilators in March – did you get in touch with them about your innovation?

RH: Not initially as I wanted to prove that my idea would work and the first few weeks were spent developing it. It can be quite intimidating being up against the likes of Dyson and Tesla. In addition, there was no readily available support of help to bring it to manufacture. 

This is one of the things I loved about the CoVent-19 Challenge, that there was a community to help and they did not expect you to build the final unit – they would take that part on once the design has been proven and chosen.

IB: Anything else you’d like to add? 

RH: Being selected as a finalist – up against so many groups of professionals and academics within this sector - is a huge honour. Knowing that I could be contributing to saving lots of lives, especially in less fortunate countries, makes me feel very humbled.