Thursday, June 25, 2020 9:14:18 AM
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DOD Ventilator Challenge: Innovative Response to the Nation’s Need for Rapid Prototyping
JUNE 12, 2020
In March, as hospital beds around the country filled up with patients suffering from respiratory distress due to COVID-19, the Department of Defense assembled a rapid-reaction team of medical professionals and engineers to harness innovation to address the projected 75,000 shortfall of ventilators.
Leveraging the U.S. Special Operations Command digital platform, Vulcan, the team launched the “Hack-a-Vent Challenge” on March 18, 2020. Eight weeks later, five distinct, low-cost ventilators were ready for production and submitted for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, a feat that would typically take several years to accomplish.
The Hack-a-Vent Challenge solicited crowdsourced proposals to build domestically-sourced ventilators that would be portable, smaller than a traditional ventilator, and operational for under $500, providing a solution to rural communities and foreign partners. Seven days after the launch, the Department received 172 submissions, each of which underwent extensive engineering and clinical assessments. The assessment process yielded five prototypes for further development.
The Department’s COVID-19 Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF), in collaboration with the Defense Health Agency, designated the Air Force as the executive agent and identified the Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) to lead the five final teams through rapid development and testing.
The prototype ventilators matured and successfully completed independent validation testing by the Uniformed Service University (USU), a rigorous process that demonstrated that these ventilator designs will resuscitate and sustain a lung. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center collaborated with the ventilator development teams to posture the designs for rapid production. All of this was done despite the challenges COVID-19 had imposed on collaboration and coordination.
The five prototypes include the CorVent by Coridea, BLU3 Vent by BLU3, iBreather by L3 Harris, FieldVent by Northrop Grumman, and the NAVSEA PRE-Vent by the U.S. Navy. Upon receipt of FDA Emergency Use Authorization, the five designs will be available for production and fielding.
The Department’s team included the Military Services, medical professionals from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, USU, and engineers from the Office of the Under Secretary for Defense for Research and Engineering.
To learn more about the Vulcan Hack-a-Vent Challenge, please visit:
https://www.vulcan-v.com/
Website Resources:
DOD Coronavirus Update
DOD Industrial Policy
Joint Acquisition Task Force
Recent BWMG News
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/29/2024 07:25:21 PM
- Form 10-K - Annual report [Section 13 and 15(d), not S-K Item 405] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 05/09/2024 09:31:44 PM
- Form 8-K - Current report • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 02/13/2024 08:27:11 PM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 11/20/2023 07:07:39 PM
- Form NT 10-Q - Notification of inability to timely file Form 10-Q or 10-QSB • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 11/14/2023 04:55:11 PM
- Form 10-Q - Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] • Edgar (US Regulatory) • 08/14/2023 08:01:27 PM
Freedom Holdings Corporate Update; Announces Management Has Signed Letter of Intent • FHLD • Jul 3, 2024 9:00 AM
EWRC's 21 Moves Gaming Studios Moves to SONY Pictures Studios and Green Lights Development of a Third Upcoming Game • EWRC • Jul 2, 2024 8:00 AM
BNCM and DELEX Healthcare Group Announce Strategic Merger to Drive Expansion and Growth • BNCM • Jul 2, 2024 7:19 AM
NUBURU Announces Upcoming TV Interview Featuring CEO Brian Knaley on Fox Business, Bloomberg TV, and Newsmax TV as Sponsored Programming • BURU • Jul 1, 2024 1:57 PM
Mass Megawatts Announces $220,500 Debt Cancellation Agreement to Improve Financing and Sales of a New Product to be Announced on July 11 • MMMW • Jun 28, 2024 7:30 AM
VAYK Exited Caribbean Investments for $320,000 Profit • VAYK • Jun 27, 2024 9:00 AM