Oxygen Planner wins Rep. Nikema Williams’s 2021 Congressional App Challenge in Georgia’s Fifth District

When asked what inspired the creation of Oxygen Planner, the student said, “Before COVID-19 started, I had worked as an intern at a medical equipment company where I had learnt about oxygen flow calculations used in ventilators. I did not want to watch from the sidelines as COVID-19 raged across the world. I discussed with my advisors the best way we can make a difference, given my passion for computer science, and experience developing apps. I was already working on this app when news about critical oxygen shortages started flooding the internet, with disastrous impact on patients who could have otherwise been treated. This motivated me to launch the app as fast as I could, working several hours each day. I wanted to make the app really useful, so it would actually make a difference, and help the medical professionals plan their oxygen demand. I reached out to people I knew who worked in adjacent fields, trying to see what they would need from an app. As I designed and built the app, I constantly asked for feedback and incorporated it into the product. When I released the app, it was very exciting to see new users pop up all over the world. So far, the apps have been used in 59 countries, on both iOS and Android platforms, with over 50,000 events and calculations performed.”