[ad_1]
POT Engineers have developed a new easy-to-build high-pressure ventilator, specifically designed to treat patients with COVID-19.
The device, called VITAL (Locally Accessible Ventilation Intervention Technology), passed a critical test this week at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York, an epicenter of COVID-19 in the United States,
POT said.
VITAL is designed to treat patients with milder symptoms, thus keeping the country’s limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe symptoms of COVID-19, he said.
“We specialize in spacecraft, not medical device manufacturing,” said Michael Watkins, Director of
POT‘Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
“But excellent engineering, rigorous testing, and rapid prototyping are some of our specialties. When the people at JPL realized they might have what it takes to support the medical community and the community at large, they felt it was his duty to share his wit, experience and driving, “said Watkins.
POT It is now seeking FDA approval for the device through an emergency use authorization, an expedited approval process developed for crisis situations that takes only days instead of years, the US space agency said.
“We are very pleased with the results of the tests we conducted in our high-fidelity human simulation laboratory,” said Matthew Levin, associate professor at the Icahn School of Medicine.
“The
POT prototype performed as expected in a wide variety of simulated patient conditions.
The team is confident that the VITAL ventilator will be able to safely ventilate COVID-19 patients here in the United States and around the world, “Levin said.
VITAL can be built faster and more easily maintained than a traditional fan, and is made up of far fewer parts, many of which are currently available to potential manufacturers through existing supply chains.
POT said.
Its flexible design means that it can also be modified for use in field hospitals that are being installed in convention centers, hotels and other high-capacity facilities across the country and around the world, the agency said.
Like all ventilators, VITAL requires that patients be sedated and that an oxygen tube be inserted into their airways to breathe.
The new device would not replace current hospital ventilators, which can last for years and are designed to address a broader range of medical problems.
Instead, VITAL is intended to last three to four months and is specifically designed for patients with COVID-19, according to
POT.
“Intensive care units are serving COVID-19 patients who require highly dynamic ventilators,” said J D Polk,
POTchief of health and official doctor.
“The intention with VITAL is to decrease the likelihood that patients will reach that advanced stage of the disease and require more advanced ventilation assistance,” Polk said.
[ad_2]
