Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, Vortran Medical Technology partners with print industry giant Xerox to increase production of their portable ventilator units GO2Vent. In the upcoming months they plan on manufacturing up to one million units.
After reporting on all the contributions small businesses are making with3D printing face shields, masks and other medical supplies in the times of COVID-19, now two global players have entered the battle: Xerox Holdings Corporation and Vortran Medical Technology are partnering to speed up and scale production of Vortran’s GO2Vent ventilator and their Airway Pressure Monitor (APM-Plus) to equip hospitals and emergency response units. The lack of equipment, especially medical grade face masks and ventilators, has been a consistent issue throughout the global pandemic response.
Increased Productions
While governments like the US are debating to force big companies to adjust their productions to manufacture the desperately needed parts and machines to adequately equip healthcare professionals in their fight against the Coronavirus, the print industry’s giant Xerox decided to team up with Vortran.
The two companies hope to quickly respond to the shortage of critical ventilation equipment together and scale up production from about 40,000 ventilators in April to between 150,000 and 200,000 ventilators a month by June 2020. In the coming months, assuming the stable supply of essential parts, they could produce as many as one million ventilators in their facilities outside of Rochester, New York, and Sacramento, California.
“The Most Important Thing We Ever Do”
The GO2Vent can be used by medical professionals to support patients who do not need an ICU-level breathing device which can therefore be freed up for another patient in need of intensive care.
“Our smartest minds met (virtually) with Vortran’s smartest minds and figured out how to mass produce this critical technology. We want to help make sure doctors, nurses and paramedics on the frontlines have the resources they need to help the rising number of patients with COVID-19.”
said John Visentin, vice chairman and chief executive officer, Xerox. They won’t only manufacture these FDA-approved ventilators but also APM-Plus devices, which connected to the GO2Vent can provide enhanced monitoring of patient status and key respiratory parameters.
“The partnership with Xerox has one clear goal – to help save as many lives as possible. With Vortran’s proven technology and Xerox’s ability to hyper-scale manufacturing, we believe we can supply healthcare providers as many as 1 million ventilators in the coming months. For all of us, this will be the most important thing we ever do.”
said Vortran Co-founder and CEO, Gordon A. Wong, M.D. Their GO2Vent system was designed for emergency use, natural disasters and disease outbreak such as the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore a suitable device to support hospital staff.
Fight Against the Virus
But the Xerox-Vortran-team doesn’t simply rely on past inventions for their provisions: In addition to scaling up production, Xerox and Vortran intend to compile and analyse data and work closely with healthcare professionals on the front lines of the fight against the virus. They will use their feedback in order to design and mass produce external, in-line modifications that can be added to their ventilators and expand the potential applications of the equipment to the needs of healthcare workers.
And these two companies aren’t the only ones jumping in to ramp up manufacturing: After small businesses, start-ups and even private people with a 3D printer at home picked up the first slack of the crisis, we are happy to report many well-known global players have adjusted their production to join the fight and support healthcare workers everywhere. Volkswagen is no longer producing their SEAT Leon line but instead makes automated ventilators. So do Ford and General Motors under the US Defense Production Act. Even Dyson developed and is now producing a ventilator to help treat COVID-19 patients.
