Portable Ventilator Will Boost Pandemic Response

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS; Washington DC, USA) will sponsor the development of a portable ventilator that can be stockpiled for use during pandemics or other public health emergencies.

According to HHS, the ventilator will be compact and easy to use, designed so that clinicians and other healthcare professionals could operate it without special training. It is intended to help fill the treatment gaps during influenza and other potential pandemics when patients could overwhelm healthcare facilities. The ventilator will be developed by Philips Respironics (Murrysville, PA, USA) in a project to be overseen by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA; Washington DC, USA).

The Philips Respironics development contract stipulates that the ventilator will be required to meet the needs of the general population, from infants and up to the elderly. To make the new ventilator suitable for stockpiling, the portable equipment must be low-cost. An additional caveat is that the ventilator could be manufactured quickly to meet a potential surge in the number of patients who need ventilators, exceeding the number than could be stockpiled.

“In pandemics and other emergencies, doctors must have medicines, vaccines, diagnostics, and critical equipment, such as mechanical ventilators, at the ready in order to save lives,” said Robin Robinson, PhD, director of BARDA. “An affordable, portable ventilator will help us meet the needs of critically ill patients during a public health emergency, whether due to a naturally occurring pandemic or an act of bioterrorism.”

“Philips Respironics has a rich history of innovation in the area of mechanical ventilation for both the acute and home settings,” said Eli Diacopoulos, general manager of respiratory care at Philips Respironics. “We have proudly designed and manufactured ventilators in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area for over 25 years. We are honored to participate in our country's national preparedness for pandemic events.”

Each year more than 800,000 severely ill patients hospitalized in the US require mechanical ventilation. In the event of a pandemic or other public health emergency, this number could skyrocket, overwhelming the current health system with demand for ventilators and staff who are trained to operate them.

Related Links:
US Department of Health and Human Services
Philips Respironics
BARDA