UK government orders 10,000 ventilators from Dyson as coronavirus increases demand
25 March 2020, 23:55
The government has ordered 10,000 ventilators designed by vacuum cleaner manufacturers Dyson in a bid to tackle the NHS shortage.
Dyson is also creating a further 5,000 machines, 1,000 of which will be donated to the UK and 4,000 to other countries.
The ventilators are expected to be available from early April.
The government is currently trying to boost the number of ventilators available to the NHS.
Last week, a deal was struck with private hospitals to donate make their ventilators available to NHS patients, and the government is also looking into manufacturing more domestically if possible.
It comes after the vacuum cleaner manufacturer announced on Monday that is developing a ventilator for the NHS.
The Wiltshire-based company said it had responded to the Government's call for help in fighting the coronavirus pandemic gripping the UK.
The firm, founded by billionaire inventor Sir James Dyson, has been working "round the clock" to develop a ventilator for patients in hospitals.
Work will include using components from vacuum cleaners and testing prototypes on pigs' lungs.
A Dyson spokesman said: "Dyson has responded to the Government's request for support with its Covid-19 response by focusing resources into the design and manufacture of a ventilator for the NHS.
"This is a highly complex project being undertaken in an extremely challenging timeframe.
"We have deployed expertise in air movement, motors, power systems, manufacturing and supply chain and are working with medical technology and development company TTP, The Technology Partnership, based in Cambridge.
"Together we have been working around the clock and through the past two weekends to develop a meaningful and timely response.
"We are conducting a full regulated medical device development, including testing in the laboratory and in humans, and we are scaling up for volume."
