Chairperson of Holding Company for Metallurgical Industries (MIH), affiliated to Ministry of Public Enterprise Sector, Medhat Nafei called on Egyptian bioengineers to design local ventilators based on specifications disclosed by biomedical engineering company Medtronic of its Puritan Bennett (PB) 560 portable ventilator.
Medtronic announced on Tuesday that it will make available to anyone the full design specifications, produce manuals, design documents and, in the future, software code for its PB 560 ventilator to allow other companies to produce it rapidly to help meet demand driven by the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The PB 560 ventilator is a compact, lightweight, and portable ventilator that provides airway support for both adults and children. It can be used in clinical settings and at home, and provides mobile respiratory support.
Ventilators play a critical role in the management of patients with severe respiratory illness, such as the coronavirus, and who require assistance because they cannot breathe effectively. By placing a patient on a ventilator, the patient’s lungs are permitted to rest and recover while the ventilator performs the functions of supplying oxygen and simulating the actions of breathing. Without ventilation support, some patients with severe respiratory disease might not survive.
Bob White, executive vice president and president of the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group at Medtronic, said: “Medtronic recognises the acute need for ventilators as life-saving devices in the management of Covid-19 infections.”
“We know this global crisis needs a global response. Over the past few weeks, we have ramped up production of our Puritan Bennett 980 ventilators. But we also know we can do more, and we are. By openly sharing the PB 560 design information, we hope to increase global production of ventilator solutions for the fight against COVID-19,” White added.
