Answering the Government’s call to assist in the production of more ventilators to support the urgent needs of the NHS during the Covid-19 crisis, the Coventry-based Envisage Group (www.envisgaegroupltd.com) is applying its electro-mechanical capabilities to the project (these capabilities are normally used to support new-product development for a variety of industries, including transportation).

The group’s prototype ventilator, which was developed from scratch in a matter of weeks, combines components already approved for medical use with some in-house fabricated parts.

Crucial assistance has also come from a team of specialist advisors from management consultancy Vendigital and health-care regulatory specialist Woodley BioReg.

Both companies have helped Envisage with their expertise in regulatory approval for medical devices and in supply-chain management, while the ventilator concept itself has been calibrated and tested on a CPR training mannequin and
successfully reviewed by an ICU consultant.

Tim Strafford, Envisage CEO, said: “We wanted to rapidly answer the Government’s ‘call to arms’ to help with ventilator production and urgently deliver new products to the NHS.

“Our electro-mechanical capabilities are more normally applied to the development of automotive and transportation engineering concepts, but they have been invaluable in designing and manufacturing this ventilator.

“Using readily available commercial components as well as some fabricated in-house parts, this new product is suited to high-volume production at a low cost; and while it meets the requirements that the UK Government has called for, it is also relevant for other regions, particularly where cost can be a barrier and manufacturing capabilities are limited.”