NASA develops new high-pressure ventilator, could be used to treat coronavirus patients

NASA engineers announced on Friday they have developed a new high-pressure ventilator that could be used to treat coronavirus patients and help relieve demand on the U.S. limited supply of the machines.

Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, have designed the device that they named VITAL (short for Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally).

The NASA agency announced Friday that the design was approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A free licence for the device is being offered in an attempt to accelerate the manufacturing process, said Fred Farina, head of innovation and corporate partnerships at Caltech, which manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA.

“Now that we have a design, we’re working to pass the baton to the medical community, and ultimately patients, as quickly as possible,” Farina added in a statement.

“To that end, we are offering the designs for licensing on a royalty-free basis during the time of the pandemic.”