Xerox (NYSE:XRX) and Vortran Medical Technology announced that they are collaborating to speed and scale production of Vortran’s GO2Vent ventilator and related APM-Plus airway pressure monitor in the fight against COVID-19.
Both companies plan to rapidly scale up production from approximately 40,000 ventilators in April to between 150,000 and 200,000 ventilators per month by June with an eye on producing as many as 1 million ventilators in the coming months.
Vortran’s FDA-approved GO2Vent system is not a direct replacement for ventilators in intensive care units, but can be used in emergency situations, in inter-hospital transport and during MRIs. The FDA-approved APM-Plus is a battery-operated, portable device designed to connect to a GO2Vent and monitor patient status and key respiratory parameters.
The companies said they collaborated because of the increasing use of alternatives to traditional intensive-care ventilators to stem the shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both companies intend to compile and analyze data and feedback from healthcare professionals so they can design and mass-produce external in-line modifications to expand potential applications.
Xerox plans to manufacture the devices at its facility outside of Rochester, N.Y., while Vortran will continue manufacturing ventilators at its Sacramento, Calif., facility. Both companies will distribute the products as well.
“Our smartest minds met (virtually) with Vortran’s smartest minds and figured out how to mass-produce this critical technology,” Xerox vice chairman & CEO John Visentin said in a news release. “We want to help make sure doctors, nurses and paramedics on the frontlines have the resources they need to help the rising number of patients with COVID-19.”
“The partnership with Xerox has one clear goal — to help save as many lives as possible,” added Vortran co-founder & CEO Dr. Gordon Wong. “With Vortran’s proven technology and Xerox’s ability to hyper-scale manufacturing, we believe we can supply healthcare providers as many as 1 million ventilators in the coming months.”
