Coventor Respirator Secures FDA Emergency Use Authorization with Production Cost Just 5% of Conventional Ventilators
Medtronic
Chronic Disease Medical Device and Therapy Developer
Boston Scientific
Medical Device Manufacturer
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities is one of the most comprehensive universities in the United States, serving as a premier institution for undergraduate and graduate education and research. As a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), it is hailed as a "Public Ivy." Since its founding in 1851, the university has boasted numerous distinguished alumni, including 25 Nobel laureates, one former Chief Justice of the United States, two former U.S. Vice Presidents, and many CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Many world-leading technologies and inventions originated at the University of Minnesota, such as the flight recorder (black box), retractable seat belts, cardiac pacemakers, and heart-lung machines. The university also houses a kidney transplant program.
According to foreign media reports, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the manufacturing of the Coventor ventilator, a new hardware design developed by the University of Minnesota. The project aims to create a ventilator that can provide life-saving care comparable to existing models but at a significantly lower cost, thereby rapidly scaling up production and making these devices affordable for healthcare institutions in need.
Coventor became the first novel ventilator to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA. As the name implies, an EUA is not a full, traditional medical device approval, but rather a temporary authorization granted for emergency situations.
Additionally, the team-developed U of M’s Coventor is about the size of a desktop computer, with a manufacturing cost of approximately $1,000. Compared to the $20,000–$25,000 price tag of traditional ventilators, this significantly reduces the financial burden on many healthcare institutions.
It is reported that medical device manufacturers Medtronic and Boston Scientific both participated in the design and development of this ventilator. Additionally, the University of Minnesota announced today that it has open-sourced Coventor’s specifications to enable global production.