NASA Develops Ventilator to Treat Coronavirus Patients

"The team feels confident that the [NASA] ventilator will be able to safely ventilate patients suffering from COVID-19."

NASA Ventilator

A team of NASA researchers have developed a ventilator for treating COVID-19 patients in just 37 days. The space agency is now asking the US Food and Drug Administration for a fast-tracked approval.

According to a statement, the machine was "tailored to treat coronavirus patients" — and "passed a critical test" earlier this week.

 

VITAL

The device, dubbed VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), was developed by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

"We specialize in spacecraft, not medical-device manufacturing," said JPL Director Michael Watkins in the statement. "But excellent engineering, rigorous testing and rapid prototyping are some of our specialties."

Meeting Expectations

According to NASA, the ventilator is easier to build and to maintain than a traditional one, as there are far fewer parts. It can also be modified for use in field hospitals.

"The NASA prototype performed as expected under a wide variety of simulated patient conditions," Matthew Levin, Director of Innovation at the Icahn School of Medicine said in the statement. "The team feels confident that the VITAL ventilator will be able to safely ventilate patients suffering from COVID-19 both here in the United States and throughout the world."

READ MORE: NASA develops ventilator prototype in just 37 days [The Hill]

More on ventilators: EXPERTS SAY PUTTING MULTIPLE PATIENTS ON ONE VENTILATOR IS UNSAFE