Xerox to begin producing thousands of disposable ventilators

Xerox, in partnership with Vortran Medical Technology, plans to produce thousands of disposable ventilators, the companies announced on Monday.

The two are set to ramp up production of Vortran’s GO2Vent ventilator and its associated Airway Pressure Monitor (APM-Plus) to reach between 150,000 and 200,000 a month by June. They expect to develop 40,000 ventilators in April and as many as 1 million ventilators in “the coming months.”

The GO2Vent ventilator will not replace the ventilators in the intensive care units around the country but would be used in emergency situations, inter-hospital transport and for MRIs. They could also be used for patients who don’t yet need or no longer need an ICU-level breathing device, saving the ICU ventilators for the most severe cases, the companies said. 

The GO2Vent can be put together in minutes and disposed of after a patient uses it for up to 30 days. The APM-Plus is a battery operated, portable device that helps track the patient’s status and key respiratory parameters. 

“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,” John Visentin, the vice chairman and chief executive officer of Xerox, said in a statement. 

Xerox will produce the ventilators and the APM device in Rochester, N.Y., while Vortran will develop the equipment in Sacramento, Calif.

“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,” said Vortran co-founder and CEO Gordon Wong.

“For all of us, this will be the most important thing we ever do,” he added.

But Xerox and Vortran are not the only companies that have turned toward producing medical equipment amid the pandemic. 

President Trump has deployed the Defense Production Act to mandate that companies including General Motors and 3M make equipment needed by health care workers. Other firms such as Brooks Brothers and Under Armour have vowed to manufacture face masks amid the pandemic.