Ventilators play a critical role in the management of patients with severe respiratory illness, such as COVID-19, who require assistance because they cannot breathe effectively.

By placing a patient on a ventilator, the patient’s lungs are permitted to rest and recover while the ventilator performs the functions of supplying oxygen and simulating the actions of breathing.

Without ventilation support, some patients with severe respiratory disease might not survive. Ishrak, a Bangladesh-born American, also uploaded a press release in his tweet that mentioned this decision is consistent with the recent FDA Guidance and in accordance with the public health and medical response of governmental agencies globally, reports news agency BSS.

Introduced in 2010, the PB 560 is sold in 35 countries around the world.

This ventilator’s ability to be used in a range of care settings, as well as its technology and design, make it a solid ventilation solution for manufacturers, inventors, start-ups, and academic institutions seeking to quickly ramp up ventilator design and production.

PB 560 product and service manuals, design requirement documents, manufacturing documents, and schematics are now available at Medtronic.com/openventilator.

The PB 560 design specifications are available today, software code and other information will follow shortly.

The PB 560 ventilator is a compact, lightweight, and portable ventilator that provides airway support for both adults and children. It can be used in clinical settings and at home and provides mobile respiratory support.

“Medtronic recognises the acute need for ventilators as life-saving devices in the management of COVID-19 infections. We know this global crisis needs a global response. Over the past few weeks, we have ramped up production of our Puritan Bennett ™ 980 ventilators. But we also know we can do more, and we are,” said Bob White, executive vice president and president of the Minimally Invasive Therapies Group at Medtronic.

“By openly sharing the PB 560 design information, we hope to increase global production of ventilator solutions for the fight against COVID-19,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s state minister for ICT division Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Tuesday said Bangladesh would produce ventilators, mechanical breathing devices, with the technical support from Medtronic.

“Medtronic would provide technical support to our local companies like Walton, through providing patent, source code, design, hardware and software of their PB560 ventilator. We’ve already held primary discussion with the company about the kind of technical support Bangladesh would require to produce the ventilator,” Palak told newsmen at a virtual briefing from his home.

The state minister said local inventors and companies would be provided training in this regard and he has discussed the matter with concerned authorities including Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

“Walton has primarily expressed its interest in producing the ventilators through its own funding and with the technical support of Medtronic. But we cannot tell the exact date of starting the production or which companies are going to do this,” he added.

It is the production companies, which will ultimately take decision on whether to market their products commercially, government would only give them a guideline, Palak said.

The state minister further said local companies and institutes like Walton, Myone, Minister, Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), StartUp Bangladesh, MadeInBangladesh, IDEA Project and ILab Innovation would work unitedly in the primary level of production.

“I think the production would take less time because of our partnership with Medtronic and it would further expedite the trend of innovation of our local technology companies and young inventors,” he added.

Representatives from Walton, MIST, ILab also joined the briefing from different places.

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world’s largest medical technology, services and solutions companies – alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world.

Medtronic employs more than 90,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in more than 150 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.