An experimental device that meets US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) performance requirements for emergency use ventilators can be constructed for about $1700—far less than the $10 000 for the lowest-cost commercial models, according to an article in PLoS One.
The open-source device, which is not FDA authorized and is currently recommended for research use only, could help meet the global need for a low-cost, rapidly deployable ventilator highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the authors. “Most components are available from general hardware suppliers and the chosen parts…did not experience supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19,” they wrote.