Dyson Designs New COVID-19 Ventilator in 10 Days

James Dyson, the billionaire behind the eponymous fans, vacuum cleaners, and hair dryers, received a call from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson requesting help due to the lack of ventilators in the country. Ten days later, the Dyson team has come up with the "CoVent," a new, specialized type of ventilator designed to address the needs of COVID-19 patients.

In a letter addressed to Dyson employees, Dyson, the owner, noted: "The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new, sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time." 

Dyson received an order of 10,000 from the U.K. government, but it's also preparing an additional 5,000 units for international aid. The order is pending, depending on regulatory approval. 

Though the company has never produced medical instruments in its history, The Guardian has reported that it teamed with Cambridge-based Technology Partnership, which has a pool of scientists and innovators, for its prototype design. Vacuum cleaners and ventilators also operate under a similar premise of pumping air efficiently.

To combat the dwindling medical equipment, other companies have also begun producing ventilators. Ford has partnered with 3M and GE to produce respirators, ventilators, and face shields; Tesla and GM have also pledged contributions.