NASA engineers develop high-pressure ventilator for COVID-19 fight

Engineers at NASA have designed a new high-pressure ventilator for use in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

The space agency announced Thursday that the new ventilators, researched and designed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration. The design phase took 37 days to complete.

The ventilators are designed for COVID-19 patients with the most severe symptoms.

NASA said the devices are faster to construct, using fewer parts than traditional ventilators, and are easier to maintain.

Fred Farina, head of innovation and corporate partnerships at Caltech, which manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA, said the manufacturing process would begin as quickly as possible.

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