Coronavirus: Xerox to mass produce disposable ventilators amid crisis

In a way to extend support during this hour of crisis, the brand Xerox reportedly announced on April 6 that it is going to scale up the manufacturing of reasonably priced, disposable ventilators that would help in easing off the pressure mounted on hospitals for high-grade ventilators which are witnessing a shortage amid the coronavirus pandemic, the corporate house reportedly stated. 

Xerox to manufacture ventilators

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As per reports, the corporate house shared the details that it has a deal with Vortran Clinical, a small scientific instrument producer in California, to scale up manufacturing of the Go2Vent, a less expensive instrument that will be used to respond to first-hand emergencies and failures. Xerox reportedly set a goal to produce at least 150,000 to 200,000 ventilators a month by the end of June so that they can produce as many as 1 million ventilators within the coming months.

The company estimated to manufacture 40,000 ventilators until the end of April.  As per reports, keeping the price relatively low, the company plans to charge hospitals approximately USD 120 per device. Explaining the agenda behind the partnership with the corporate house, Vortran's co-founder and CEO, Gordon A. Wong, reportedly said in a statement that the main purpose behind the partnership is only to help save as many lives as possible and for everyone, this is the need of the hour.

Ventilators to ease of pressure

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The ventilators that are going to be produced by the company is not a replacement for hospital's high-grade ventilators. It's being prepared to ease the pressure on states and health systems facing a shortage of ventilators which has forced them to start splitting ventilators into two patients so that it serves the purpose. Naresh Shankar, Xerox’s chief technology officer, reportedly said in an interview that the ventilators prepared are going to reduce the overloaded burden on the system so that in case of any emergency, the sickest and severe patient can be shifted on the ICU-grade ventilators. And those patients who are showing fewer symptoms can benefit from the Go2Vent ventilators, he added. 

This is not the first time that the device is being used to release pressure on the hospitals. It was earlier widely used around September. 11, 2001 during the terror attacks in New York and amid the SARS outbreak which occurred 17 years back.

(Image credit: AP)