The University of Minnesota recently announced that it released the design for its Coventor alternative ventilator as open-source.
Minnesota’s Coventor low-cost device gained notoriety in March after researchers touted the design made from various parts totaling just $150. In April, it became the first ventilator of its kind authorized for use under the FDA’s EUA for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also in April, Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX) announced that it was sole manufacturer of the device, which the company said it expects to sell at-cost at approximately $1,000 per unit.
The Coventor is now available to companies who are interested in manufacturing it. They can sign a free electronic license and download the manufacturing specifications.
“From the outset, the mission of this project was to make this emergency device available to people in need, wherever they might be in the world, as quickly and safely as possible,” Dr. Stephen Richardson, a leading developer on the Coventor and cardiac anesthesiology fellow in the Medical School, M Health Fairview, said in a news release. “Through the tremendous hard work, ingenuity, and force of will of hundreds of individuals coming together as a team, we have been able to make that a reality in a matter of weeks.”
With the design now open-source, Richardson and the research team at Minnesota are turning their focus to distribution, with help from Boston Scientific, Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) and UnitedHealth Group.
“Thanks to the dedication of all involved, this elegantly simple, effective design now has the potential to help fight his pandemic across the world,” Richardson said.