COVID-19: Medtronic shares ventilator design specifications to accelerate global production

Medical tech major Medtronic on Tuesday said it is publicly sharing the design specifications of Puritan Bennett 560 ventilator to accelerate efforts to increase global ventilator production in fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

The company is sharing the design specifications of PB 560 to enable participants across industries to evaluate options for rapid ventilator manufacturing to help doctors and patients dealing with COVID-19, Medtronic Plc said in a statement.

This ventilator's ability to be used in a range of care settings, as well as its technology and design, make it a solid ventilation solution for manufacturers, inventors, startups and academic institutions seeking to quickly ramp up ventilator design and production, it added.

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, Medtronic said.

"By openly sharing the PB 560 design information, we hope to increase global production of ventilator solutions for the fight against COVID-19," Bob White, executive vice president and president of the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group at Medtronic said.

Medtronic recognizes the acute need for ventilators as life-saving devices in the management of COVID-19 infections, he added.

Ventilators play a critical role in the management of patients with severe respiratory illness, such as COVID-19, who require assistance because they cannot breathe effectively, Medtronic said.