Medical device company Medtronic released designs for one of their ventilators to open source for use in the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a laudable action, and there is plenty to glean from the specs (notable is that the planned release is incomplete as of this writing, so more info is on the way). Some initial reactions: medical devices are complicated, requirements specifications are enormous, the bill of materials (BOM) is gigantic, and component sourcing, supply chain, assembly, and testing are just as vital as the design itself.
Virgin Orbit has developed a new bridge ventilator that can be mass produced to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Pending clearance by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Virgin Orbit aims to start production at its Long Beach manufacturing facility in early April, sprinting to deliver units into the hands of first responders and healthcare professionals as soon as possible.
See Professional Ventilator Design Open Sourced Today By Medtronic and https://www.virgin.com/news/virgin-orbit-develop-and-design-mass-producible-ventilators-covid-19-patients
#technology #opensource #covid19
Medical device company Medtronic released designs for one of their ventilators to open source for use in the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a laudable action, and there is plenty to glean from the spec…