Ventilators for Coronavirus Patients Built by NASA in Just 37 Days

The engineers at NASA have developed VITAL or Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally, which is a high-pressure ventilator prototype specifically tailored to help coronavirus patients.

After passing a critical test at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York earlier this week, NASA is hoping for fast-track approval of the ventilator in the coming days so it can be used to help coronavirus patients.

Dr. Matthew Levin, the director of innovation of the Human Simulation Lab and associate professor of anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine, and genetics and genomic sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine, said in a statement that they are pleased with the results of the testing that they've performed in their high-fidelity human simulation lab.

Dr. Levin added that the NASA prototype performed as expected under a wide variety of simulated patient conditions. NASA feels confident that the VITAL ventilator will be able to safely ventilate patients who are suffering from COVID-19 both in the United States and around the world.

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VITAL ventilator

The VITAL ventilator works like traditional ventilators, where sedated patients rely on an oxygen tube to help them breathe. But VITAL is built to last three or four months unlike ventilators in hospitals that were made to last for years and help patients with other medical issues.

The engineers at NASA hope that more traditional ventilators can be freed up for patients with the most severe cases of coronavirus if VITAL is used. The ventilator was also made to offer more oxygen at higher pressures than traditional ventilators because Dr. Levin said that some of the patients that he is treating needed that capability.

Dr. J.D. Polk, NASA's chief health and medical officer, said in a statement that intensive care units are seeing COVID-19 patients who require highly dynamic ventilators. The intention with VITAL is to decrease the chances of patients getting to the advanced stage of the disease and require more advanced ventilator assistance.

The engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena developed the ventilator but it won't compete with the existing supply chain for ventilators. VITAL is built using fewer parts and most of which are available in current supply chains. The ventilator is also built to be flexible with easy maintenance, which means it can be used in the diverse settings hosting field hospitals, including convention centers and hotels.

Michael Watkins, JPL director, stated that they specialize in spacecraft, not medical-device manufacturing. But excellent engineering, rigorous testing, and rapid prototyping are some of their specialties. When people at JPL realized that they might have what it takes to support the medical community and the broader community, they felt that it was their duty to share their expertise, ingenuity, and drive.

Creating other medical equipment

NASA is trying to help fill the gaps due to shortages of other medical equipment in local communities. One new device is the Aerospace Valley Positive Pressure Helmet. It is a device that can be used to help treat coronavirus patients with minor symptoms so they don't have to use a ventilator.

The helmet is already tested successfully and submitted to the FDA for emergency use authorization. Meanwhile, 500 are currently in production.