During the COVID pandemic’s darkest days and amid global ventilator shortages, hospitals were desperate for a solution that would save countless lives.
They tapped engineer and inventor Cristian Fracassi and his company ISINNOVA. Fracassi and his team developed an ingenious solution that would allow those affected by COVID to breathe, thus saving thousands — perhaps even hundreds of thousands — of lives.
ISINNOVA’s solution to the respirator shortage involved reverse-engineering a CPAP valve, 3D-printing the new design, and installing it into diving masks. Fracassi and his company produced 100 valves daily, which they donated freely to local hospitals.
This incredible achievement led to many patients’ recovery and has become an international symbol of lifesaving innovation — to the point that the Charlotte valve is now on display at some of the world’s most prestigious museums, including the MoMA and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum’s Design & Healing Exhibition in New York and The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to name a few.
This collection features seven digital works representing the key points of the story. Artworks were created using the original files (valves, diving masks, notes), and proceeds from the collection will fund further innovative projects for hospitals as requested.
Just as the Charlotte Valve was named after Cristian’s wife, NFT holders will get the additional utility to name one of ISINNOVA’s next life-saving inventions. Holders will also be able to participate first-hand and follow the entire invention and realization process by receiving constant updates from the ISINNOVA team.
MakersPlace interviewed inventor Cristian Fracassi here about the Charlotte Valve and ISINNOVA Inventor’s Club.
“In One Breath” NFT Collection ISINNOVA
*All video previews in this article are compressed.
“The Call”
The artwork represents the beginning of the story, when “Nunzia Vallini”, editor of Brescia’s newspaper, calls Cristian to ask him if 3D printing could be used to replicate a valve necessary for Covid treatments, as demand for respirators in hospitals is rising fast and valves necessary for their functioning are starting to run out.
Despite the difficulty of the request and the responsibility arising from the fact that failure would cost lives, Cristian decides to put himself on the line and accepts the challenge.
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
“The Research”
The artwork represents the experimentation and research of Cristian and his team in an attempt to recreate the valve needed for Covid treatments with 3D technologies.
The pressure at this stage of research is very high, as a solution is needed in the shortest possible time and a non-functioning valve would cause the death of the patient.
Through Reverse Engineering, the team is able to reproduce a three-dimensional model of the valve, which, due to lack of time and urgency, is tested directly on a real patient.
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
“Victory”
This artwork represents the moment when Cristian and his team succeed in the feat of re-creating the valve needed to operate the covid respirators using 3D printing. The doctors test the 3D printed replica of the original valve on a real patient and, after what seems like an interminable wait, give Cristian and the team the verdict. The valve works and patients are able to breathe! The happiness of success soon gives way to another urgency. Hospitals need hundreds of 3D-printed valves immediately, so Cristian and the team get back to work to make them.
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
“A New Challenge”
The artwork represents the moment when Cristian and his team, after having successfully created the 3D replica of the valve needed to operate the covid respirators, are presented with a new challenge. Renato Favero, a retired doctor, calls Cristian and presents him with a new problem to solve. Soon, it was not only the valves that would run out but also the respirators. After giving the team a lesson in anatomy and explaining how the respirators work, Renato extracts a common diving mask from a duffel bag and challenges Cristian to transform it into a respirator.
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
“Back in Action”
The artwork represents the moment when, after meeting with Renato Favero, Cristian and his team get back to work in order to find an effective solution to his proposal and solve this new impossible challenge. Again, through research and experimentation, the team tries to develop a valve capable of transforming an ordinary diving mask into a respirator.The pressure on the team is very high, as time is short and there is no room for error. If the mask doesn’t work, the patients won’t be able to breathe.
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
“The Miracle”
The artwork represents the success of Cristian and his team in the heroic feat of creating the Charlotte Valve, able to turn an ordinary diving mask into a respirator.
The mask is tested on a real patient and it works!
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
“Sharing”
The artwork represents the power of sharing in times of need.
The Charlotte valve works and patients are able to breathe. Hospitals from around the world are now in need of thousands of valves, but Cristian and the team cannot keep up with all the demand on their own. Time is short and they need to find a solution quickly. They have the ingenious idea to create a website that allows users to download the 3D file of the valve so that anybody with a 3D printer can print it. Cristian, therefore, asks people to share the news and to print the valve to donate it to the hospitals and health centers. The news spreads all over the world and hundreds of thousands of valves are donated to hospitals by companies, individuals and makers, saving countless lives.
Editions: 1/1
Pricing: $5,000 reserve
Utility
In the same way that the “Charlotte Valve” is named after the wife of its inventor Cristian, the NFT owner will have the opportunity to choose the name of one of Isinnova’s next life-saving inventions. He or she will also be able to participate first-hand and follow the entire invention and realization process by receiving constant updates from Cristian and Isinnova.
The owner will also receive an additional exclusive NFT via airdrop. Utilities are only valid for the primary market NFT owners.
About the Artist
The NFTs in this collection were created in collaboration with 3D artist Miro (AKA Michele Ronchetti), co-founder of the award-winning MAECENAS Media Agency. Miro works closely with projects for social benefit and collaborates actively with Scan the World, an ambitious community-built initiative whose mission is to share 3D-printable sculptures and cultural artifacts using democratized 3D-scanning technologies, producing an extensive ecosystem of free-to-download digital cultural heritage.
ISINNOVA’s future projects
The sale of the NFTs will fund Cristian Fracassi’s new inventions for the health sector.
Development of a better sleep mask for children suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS).
It has been found that most children who sleep with an oronasal mask are prone to several consequential conditions, namely: craniofacial syndromes, facial abnormalities, and a receding jaw and narrow palate.
The invention of a new flexible wheelchair for the elderly.
The problem to be solved is that specialized facilities for the elderly must buy many models of wheelchairs to ensure they have the right chair in the house for every patient. This means they have to buy 10 times as many wheelchairs as they need, with considerable costs and space.
The invention of a new instrument to facilitate the removal of kidney tumors.
The problem to be solved is that the kidney tumor’s surgery is one of the most complex and delicate to carry out. What we are trying to create is a surgical instrument which can facilitate and lengthen this surgery.
Charlotte Valve in the News:
NBC: ‘A worldwide hackathon’: Hospitals turn to crowdsourcing and 3D printing amid equipment shortages
BBC: Coronavirus: 3D printers save hospital with valves
NYT: We Made Copies of Ventilator Parts to Help Hospitals Fight Coronavirus
The Verge: Volunteers produce 3D-printed valves for life-saving coronavirus treatments
