The OxVent team was privileged to be shortlisted from over 5,000 offers of support received by the UK Government in response to the Ventilator Challenge. We are ever so grateful to the successful collaboration across institutions and the entire team who worked tirelessly in the past weeks. The progress made in such a short time is remarkable, and we are engaging with colleagues abroad where the need for ventilators is greater than in the UK.
Federico Formenti, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King’s College London
29 April 2020
Update on OxVent ventilator programme
The OxVent group, comprised of scientists, clinicians and medical technology manufacturers from the King’s College London, University of Oxford and Smith+Nephew, has been proud to mobilise quickly in response to the anticipated need for ventilators to support the NHS in treating patients with COVID-19.
The UK government has confirmed that, due to actual clinical need, activity to supply the OxVent ventilator in the UK is to be stopped. That fewer ventilators are needed to treat UK patients is good news. The work that OxVent has put into the project means that if the UK’s requirements change, we will be well placed to assist.
The OxVent ventilator was developed to be produced at speed and scale and at significantly lower cost than alternatives. It was conceived as an open source not-for profit project. The team remains committed to this vision and is reviewing options to make it available in other countries where needs are still pressing.
Professor Mark Thompson, Oxford University, said: "Every member of this outstanding team of engineers, medics and manufacturers has shown determination and drive, overcoming challenges while working at speed with ingenuity and focus. Responding to the COVID-19 crisis, using our talents and resources to the full, is a personal mission for all of us, and we are committed to sharing the resource we have developed with other countries where there is an urgent clinical need."
Mark Gladwell, President of Global Operations, Smith+Nephew, said: “We are incredibly proud of all the work completed by the team. I would like to thank every colleague who has worked on this programme for their dedication and commitment as well as the many suppliers who have gone above and beyond to support us. It is great news that the UK need for ventilators is less than originally expected and we hope that what we have done together in just a few weeks goes on to make a significant difference in tackling COVID-19 around the world.”