“I’ve seen pictures of this and the electronics are breadboards ICs and jumper wires, etc... Maybe not $100, but close.”
As mentioned in the article the pressure and volume has to be carefully controlled plus it has to operate reliably for a million cycles. No way you build that for $100.
Ventilators damage the lungs. Much expertise is required to minimize this damage.
2 weeks = 14 days = 336 hrs = 20,160 min = 1,209,600 sec.
Breathing cycles? A lot of short breaths? Perhaps the cost estimates are also a bit off?
I’ve made things from old windshield wiper mechanisms.
Speeds adjustable; too.