Low-Cost Powered Air-Purifying Respirator (PAPR) 

Johnny, you are absolutely the king of making low cost equipment with high impact. I'm glad to see you posting and your work again :)

Johnny, You inspired me years ago when you first came out with your Wii-mote hacks. Then you moved on to do some incredible work at google. Glad to see you posting again and helping the community! Keep up the good work! :)

Thank you. Many more people will get through this uninfected because of folks like you that are providing this kind of information that will save lives!

Johny :) we really missed you as a maker community , you were such an inspiration to all of us since your first videos about Wii mote and how you turned up inventing the kinect Xbox later. I really enjoyed seeing you step in as an inventor to participate in solving this world crisis. We would love to see more on you-tube as constant you-tuber with your great invention projects

wow it's really you!!! You were the dude made the IR Nintendo wii tracker. I made an IR white board many many many years ago from your video. you are still innovating!!!

👏 wow! I wish I knew someone that was good at building these. I'll have to look around. As a immune compromised patient along with my daughter, this would let me out of the house long enough to still breathe but yet be protected. I'm so impressed!

Awesome. Years ago I saw your TED talk about making a semi-smart board from a Wi and some IR LEDs. Myself and student built one...worked well. As soon as realized you posted this I knew it was going to be good.

Thank you, Johnny. I was looking at exactly the same idea. This is exactly what I was looking at to do. I was thinking of it as a class project. I have 3D printers and some amazing students. Keep on be inspirational!!

Awesome work!! You’re the maker we need but don’t deserve!! Bless you man.

Great to see ya again. thank you!

Johnny Lee, You are a really great guy and a major contributor to the well being of society!

great followup video! I hope this goes viral

I don't even know how I'm already subscribed to your channel but I was looking into building my own PAPR for welding fumes I occasionally encounter at work.

You are a hero. Hopefully this gets done.

Thank you for your insightful, creative, thinking out of the box designs.

This is awesome! I’m a glassblower. And sometimes the intense heat that comes from the flame and the fumes from the gasses, make me close to passing out. With molten glass in my hand. it could be deadly. I’ve been so paranoid about passing out while working. Gonna make one immediately

Johnny - I recommend wrapping the joint with self-vulcanizing tape instead of electrical tape (or add the electrical tape on top of the self-vulcanizing tape). I use the SVT to repair electrical automotive connections with brittle connectors or cracking/splitting insulation. SVT creates an air tight and water tight seal. Fun to work with as it kind of melds into itself but is NOT sticky.

You are back... Awesome

Super! Well done! And we use part of the reverse osmosis cartridge together with ultra-violet diodes in the range of 250-280 nm

Good luck getting those parts! Order anything CPAP it's a wait up into middle of May .

This is amazing. Thanks Johnny. Just have to figure out how to get the supplies.

Great 👍 and timely information Mr Johnny! Kudos brother!

Just found you, and am subscribing. Great work!

I work both in the Emergency Department and the ICU - Thank you for taking the time to do this project and post. It means a lot to see to see that you cared enough to put in so much effort to help.

Great idea Johnny, keep up the good work. Your earlier video got me to think about how I could use my CPAP mask as a protective mask in public. One of the problems with the N95, and surgical masks is that they are pretty flimsy and air can get in from the sides of the mask. The other big problem for me is the exhaust fogs my glasses, or any eye protective gear. So in public I wear my CPAP mask, with the hose attached. At the end of the hose, I have double kleenix tissues,wrapped around the hose with an elastic. The tissues I believe are finer than the N95 mask. The mask is 100% effective for not allowing outside air according to my cpap machine - it provides a great seal over my nose and mouth. On the front of the mask are two small holes for exhaust, however I cover them up with tape, so I am only breathing air from the end of the tube. So I taking air in, and exhausting from the end of the tube. Granted there is no pressure, pushing air up or out, and I may be breathing some of my own exhaust, but I think it's fine for a quick trip to the grocery store.

Johnny, great job, thanks for sharing. I think it's preferable to put the filter downstream of the blower, so that you don't have to cover the blower with electrical tape and hope that it blocks unfiltered air from getting through. I'm not sure about the blower you're using, but there are some blowers with air-bearings that count on a certain amount of air recirculation through the housing to function and cool. Also, putting the filter upstream of the blower makes for a lower gage pressure in the housing that tends to drive leakage of unfiltered air into the system. Thanks again.

Great work Johnny. I've been working on a PAPR too, still waiting for parts to arrive. DC blower powered by 20V li-ion drill battery. LM2596 buck converter for variable voltage/blower speed. Vacuum cleaner HEPA filter in a box. Blower mounted to other side of box. All sealed with EPDM window seal strip (gasket) and maybe Aquarium silicone sealant (non-toxic). Air supply pipe connected to blower outlet is 1 inch clear PVC (wide and smooth pipe for lower air resistance) Edit: think a proper air hose would be better, the PVC isn't ideal. For the head part I was thinking about a whole hood based on a head-mounted polycarbonate face shield with added plastic bags. Sealed loosely around the neck. These designs work by having positive air pressure and allowing small leaks so it all depends on getting enough air out of the blower. The unknown for me so far is how much my vac cleaner HEPA filter will drop the airflow. I have seen a figure of 300 Pascals or 1 inch water pressure. I might need a more powerful blower or a bigger box with two or more filters in. Tight fitting PAPR needs about 115 litres/min, loose fitting needs 160/170 litres/min. About 6 cubic feet. These blowers spec at a lot more than that (30 plus cfm) but that's with no pressure drop from a filter, need to look at the Static Pressure vs Air Flow graph on the blower spec sheet. Check out 3M Versaflo, Scott Proflow/Duraflow commercial ones. Head-wearable ones for woodworking etc are Trend Airshield and JSP Powercap.Think about battery life too. With a 2 or 4AH battery they should run for a good few hours. The commercial ones are designed to run all day.

Excellent idea buddy. Hospitals will collapse have done so. This gives a few more people a chance at home.

Amazing work!

Thanks for the new invention. I think you are on to another great work. Are there a supply of small brushless dc motors that produce the same air flow that are not so expensive as the ventalator motors

This is great - thanks Johnny

Wow you are smart!! You even installed micro switch

Very inventive. Thanks 🙏🏼

This could be well timed and inspirational! Can we get Clay Bavor to take it over and take responsibility for delivering it? Also, I'd suggest not alienating anyone that has expertise in this domain. I can't stress enough the value of external expertise where the outcome is so important.

I have been building these since 1996. For painting and prep, exteriors. I gave up on the battery idea, and decided to just plug in. I also used a hair dryer motor and 16 volt power supply. I did use a back pack. I am happy with any hepa, high efficiency filter. Mine used window tint film, as we are working 98 F days, sanding for 12 hours. I estimated my cost to be around $150 for everything, back in 1996. Plus the time. ... The 1993 papr firefighting used were junk in my book, as far as power, heat , and ability to breath...Oh, and I did add a gfci and 1 amp circuit breaker.

Thank god we have you

Great work mate.. keep helping people of world 👍👍

Great video!

I applaud the effort and may be there is a lot that industry can learn about stripped back RPE products. Comments / words of caution - 1) making PAPR is a serious undertaking and manufacturers are doing everything they can to make as many as possible as quickly as possible in the current situation, 2) consider the risks of what happens if the device fails / doesn't work but the wearer thinks they are protected, 3) there are many design and manufacturing considerations - some mentionned in the comments below: robustness, battery alarm, flow alarm, CO2 build up, tight-fitting masks need to be fit tested (even posititve pressure ones) in many countries, to name a few.

They even make full face CPAP masks that cover your eyes too. That would be even better.

Great job bro 💪🏻

Thank you great idea, A used komplett CPAP Machine I can get around for 300 euro plus/ minus . But I didnt know how a to put a bipap cycle on it. With a small ventil You can get even go to controlled ventilation I suppose. . And with a oxygenconzentrator ( up to 6 l /min) somewhere attached to the system , oxygenconcentration up to 50% in the aire the patient is getting.

thank you Mr. Johnny Lee, so the working principle of this PAPRs is to supply clean and fresh air to the user?

Someone that is actually helping.

Excellent. I made one of these for a bike-commute years ago, without the motor... that would have helped. Does the CPAP Mask have an "exhale port"?

Where would I find the information on how the switch changes the blower speed?

Should explain which parts require cleaning and sanitizing after use

Nice work, just a heads up CBRN filters have activated charcoal in them so once they are open they start to go bad... fast. You only get 6-10 hours of use with one and they can only be left open for a few weeks before they go bad. I would recommend a 40mm viral filter like what MIRIA safery has on their website with an ULPA filter media

I like your design. If the user breaths in more air than the blower is supplying, non-filtered air will enter through: 1. The hose to mask elbow adapter. There is a one way safety valve/flap that let's air in if the CPAP machine's blower is not working. This flap is closed by the CPAP pressure. But if the user inhales too hard, the valve will also open letting in contaminated air. 2. The mask's tiny exhalation holes around the elbow connector. Other mask's, etc will probably have the same two issues. Exhalation holes and safety valve/flap/etc.

it is a shame that the only consumable part of this is so darn expensive, but there is no way around it that is safe and easy. nice vid

you might want to use the decathlon full face scuba mask. also as this is run by an arduino, you could make the arduino increase the air flow rate by connecting a heart beat sensor to it

Def a more immediate use of this technology.

Great work! Is the bag breathable or just left un-zipped for fresh air intake?

Great work!

is the air filter placed at the inlet or outlet of the motor? I tried this configuration but the CFM seems low. Any tips on how to better spec the blower?

Great idea as I was thinking of trying to do the same to an older cpap machine I have, but mine runs on 110v. I know it has positive pressure on the mask at all times and it vents out through the exhalation valve to help you exhale better just like scba the fire service uses. If you could find an MSA scba mask it has the twist turn lock for the regulator to connect to the mask and a hepa or n95 canisters that are a direct fit for checking the seal of the mask. I used one these in the fire service and it would look funny at the grocery store but you'll have full-face protection. Good luck.

The man just called... he said YOU DA MAN JOHNNY

Very clever... awesome project.

Hey there I'm looking for for air filter info for these devices. Do you have any info on it

ever wondered how much does the rubber hold particles?

I do have a question in regards to the CPAP mask. From what I have used and seen there is only a small orifice for exhaled air. Do you need to increase the diameter of the exhale hole or would it be wise to modify the mask with a diaphragm valve to Allow one to exhale easier considering this mask will be used during waking hours where we are working and exhaling harder as compared to sleeping with a lower breathing rate??? Other than that this is an excellent idea considering the cost of a professional PAPR unit. Is there another source for the motor that we could use in place of a CPAP motor? Mine bit the dust a few years ago and I had to replace the whole unit as parts for the blower were no longer available.

I appreciate what you are doing

Johnny - Wondering about folk's thoughts on collecting a set of engineers/makers who would be willing to acquire parts, fabricate, and donate the working machines to our medical centers for staff. I'm thinking that making even 15k-20k of these could be pretty impactful and if we do it before the ED MDs and RNs all get sick it would be advantageous. I'm happy to help either with collecting volunteers or marketing if helpful.

I know I'm late to the party but could one spray it with flex seal after protecting the holes?

Hey Johnny the Phillips Fit Life mask would be a good fit for your design, and would eliminate the need for a face shield.

How is the filter getting fresh air if it is inside a backpack?

This is great info! I am hoping to use this information for another purpose, I would like to build a face shield using an older firefighting face shield with positive air pressure for woodworking so I don't inhale the find sawdust particles. Do you have or know of any videos that show step by step how to hook up a blower motor like the one you had to a battery? I think that's the next step I will have to learn.

How long do these cartridges last and how often can one reuse them before it becomes unusable for Coronavirus?

Amazing! Would it work with a snorkel full face mask with adapter?

Dip that thing in Plati-dip! :) Nice work...

Very interesting concept. Have you had your PAPR formally tested with bitrex testing? How comfortable would this be to wear for prolonged period of time? Battery life? Could it last 12 hours?

Can we use xiaomi potable compressor for suck air from surrounding?

Congratulations!

A tyvek hood with a built in face shield with the hose connection feeding in air would make this a standard style papr... that would also protect from drafts carrying viral material since the purified air will constantly flow down your neck and out.

CBRN filters are not virus filters. They do not adequately stop things as small at Covid19 from getting though. You are going to need a P3 filter or some variant. Even adding a good quality HEPA insert would help you out a bit.

are you able to shows us how to build automate Ambu bag squeezer?

Well done! thanks.

great info

please provide link, form where we can buy the air filter catridge...

hi Lee i did not get how the CO2 will come out from your device..

I have very similar cpap device and that works with 12V 4.5 A charger. The device itself has a 12V 3A pump. How can you drive this with usb powerbank?

Hello Johnny I am a woodworker with an old CPAP machine, do you think that this would work for sanding particulates, I have been looking into purchasing a PAPR respirator but they are costly.

I am surprised at how many of these already exist. I am also amazed at how expensive they are! I envisioned a thin wide shell that you would wear on your back like a pack that was molded and padded for comfort. It would have a large HEPA filter to decrease filtration effort. I would divide the flow so that one tube supplied air and the other passed it out through a HEPA filter as well. This would be done using common valves at the entrance of each tube to the face mask. One tube would pass over each shoulder and connect at the top of the mask. I was wondering if using an existing power supply would be less expensive, such as common drill and other power tool batteries. A common face shield could be worn if needed. I would like it to be compatible with ozone generating cleaners such as So-Clean. Perhaps a sealable cover over the filters would allow this with some cleaver tubing arrangement.

Good job Mister. I wanna ask you where i could buy the blower and the battery power like that? Maybe this question will not red. But yeah it's my try. Thank you sir. God bless you. 👍

How much flow is there in liters per minute is is at least 120?

doesnt the respiratory valves works like that? air out but air not in.

heres a question for you do you know of some way I can make a gas mask into a PAPR cheaply?

Instead of electrical tape, you might consider using self fusing silicone tape (e.g. Rust-oleum or Nitto).

Have you considered an exhaust filter?

Thank You, very much

Ok , how about this ; a car windshield wiper switch set to intermittent, to a car blower motor , to a tube to a mask ? You could hook it to a 12 volt converter or a 120 volt converter ?

I have a spa blower but it blows out air rather than oxygen. However it would still need an air filter.

hello! very inspiring design. Just had a question, are you experiencing any heating problems with the design? would like to hear. i am also brainstorming on a similar design. thanks for sharing this design and Keep innovating.

although the restriction would be great a hepa filter off a vacuume cleaner would probably work also. and may stand cleaning with bleach solution of 1.5%. be well

Put a cutup raincoat airtight around that faceshield.. rivet and glue it airtight.. no need for reapirator and goggles then.. also add UV Tube into airflow After Filter for added protection.. you can use These only P3R Filters for cheaper build..

U r da man bro, thanks a lot.

Where can I find the basics on how to program the Arduino motor micro-controller? I'm new to programming so i need the very basics but also comprehensive books on this stuff. I need to make this and similar projects. Thank-you.

So Im not to tech savy. How do I get to tje gethub link? Im trying to build one for my daughter, shes a ER nurse at a hosp. THEY DONT HAVE ENOUGH OF THESE, she and I are scared for her. Morale is very low trying to serve without protection. Can someone help me out. Im trying to get directions and parts. Thanks guys .

Hey man, what about SparkFun blower? Have you tried using that one instead of the CPAP blower? Could it be the same type/rating/spec blower?

How many times can I use this ? I am a doctor in Egypt and we have an acute shortage in protective equipment when we intubate patients.