Vortran Medical Technology 1 Inc’s emergency ventilator — the GO2vent with PEEP valve — has been granted an emergency use authorization by the FDA. According to the agency, the device is “intended for use by properly trained personnel to deliver emergency, short term, constant-flow pressure-cycled ventilator support with patients who weigh 10kg or more.”
Vortran’s GO2Vent is a gas-operated, disposable ventilator that can be set-up within minutes and discarded after use by a single patient. It provides support via a secure airway and can be operated on a compressor, oxygen or air with a minimum of 10 LPM flow rates. According to a press release, the device was designed for emergency use, natural disasters and disease outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, Vortran partnered with Xerox Holdings Corp to mass produce the GO2vent. According to a Xerox press release, the two companies were rapidly scaling up production from approximately 40,000 ventilators in April to between 150,000 and 200,000 ventilators a month by June. They projected to produce as many as 1 million ventilators in the coming months.
According to the companies, the GO2Vent is not a replacement for critical care ventilators but is widely used in emergency situations, inter-hospital transport and MRIs. Given the shortage of ICU-grade ventilators, medical professionals are utilizing tools like this and other technology to support patients who do not yet or no longer need an ICU-level breathing device, which can be freed up for another patient.
