【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2020 年 03月 20 日葡萄牙里斯本訊】 ─ 一位葡萄牙籍科學家，正帶領著其他來自世界各地的專家，以開放資源模式（沒有商業專利）研發新型呼吸器：他就是João Nascimento，一位埃斯托利爾慈幼會學院的舊生。他透過Twiter，向學術機構、研究員、工程師、醫生、軟件開發者及科技公司進行挑戰，創製快速外包方案，製造醫療器具，應付世界各地在新型冠狀病毒下的重大需求。
隨著新型冠狀病毒在世界各地出現，公眾及私型醫院將意識到一個令人憂慮的事實：沒有足夠的呼吸通風系統及人工肺機器，應付人們的所需，這些器具的製造商表示「無法滿足世界的需求」。
因此，慈幼舊生João Nascimento，便在Twitter中下戰書，不消數小時，便有數以千百計，來自不同界別的專家，回應他的呼籲。
報章“Observador”一直跟進這個計劃的進展，João Nascimento向報章表示，這證明人性真的存在，當團結一起共同工作，便沒有界限，即使他強調說，「目前尚未能預計有什麼短期效果或應用方案。」
João Nascimento正在哈佛大學，修讀神經科學及哲學，他也是「空中計劃」的導師，以「團隊溝通平台」及不同討論頻道作出指導。
記者Laura Cordeiro問道：「這個靈感，以及這個開放資源機械式呼吸器計劃，是如何誕生？」這位慈幼舊生解釋說：「我是那些不能靜待事件發展的人。顯然，全球面對著病毒大流行，我想到要解決這個問題：致命的主要成因是什麼？欠缺呼吸器的主要原因的是什麼？人性會否因為欠缺了一副機械而屈服？我開始思考這種主要以塑膠製造的器具，立時得到靈感，這既然可以用模具製作，因此也可以用三維打印科技製作……這就是我在Twitter留言，以及到處搜尋開放資源呼吸器及呼吸機械的動機。」
João說：「我沒有創造任何東西，我只是加入那些已有相關概念的人，我建議我們組織起來。這事件的功績，完全歸於那些投入這項工作，就是做研究，致力尋找解決方案的人。」
“Will humanity succumb because a machine is missing?”: A tweet by João Nascimento, Salesian past pupil, generates global synergy
(ANS – Portugal – Lisbon , 20 March 2020) – A Portuguese scientist is bringing together specialists from all over the world to develop new respirators in open source format (without commercial license): he is João Nascimento, a pupil of the Salesian Institute of Estoril, who, via Twiter, launched the challenge to the academic community, researchers, engineers, doctors, software developers and technology companies to create a fast and outsourced solution for the production of medical devices, given the large current and global needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the appearance of coronavirus in many countries around the world, public and private hospitals soon realized a sad fact: there are no breathing, ventilation and artificial lungs machines sufficient to assist all the people who require them. The manufacturers of these devices say they don’t have the “ability to meet global demand.”
The ex-Salesian student João Nascimento then launched the challenge through Twitter and in a few hours first hundreds and then thousands of experts from various sectors responded to his appeal.
To the newspaper “Observador”, which is following the project’s progress, João Nascimento said that it is tangible proof that humanity, when it works together and in solidarity, has no boundaries, even though he stressed that “at present, it’s not possible to make predictions on immediate results or applications.”
João Nascimento is currently studying Neuroscience and Philosophy at Harvard University and is the mentor of the “Open Air Project”, based on the Slack platform and with various discussion channels.
“How was the idea born and how was the open source mechanical respirator project born?” asked journalist Laura Cordeiro. “I am one of those people who can’t stand still or wait for things to happen,” explained the Salesian past pupil. “Obviously, faced with a world pandemic, I thought of dismantling the problem: what is the main cause of the deaths? What is the main reason for the lack of respirators? Will humanity succumb because a machine is missing? I started thinking about the machine, which is essentially made of plastic, which immediately led me to the idea that it can be produced from a mold and therefore reproducible with 3D printer technology … This is how I got to Twitter and to my search for open source respirators and respiratory machinery.”
“I’m not the creator of anything,” João says. “I only joined the people who were already thinking about it and I suggested organizing ourselves. The merit goes entirely to those who are working on it, are researching and are committed to finding solutions. “