We have all these ventilators, now what?

When COVID-19 cases first skyrocketed (like now in several states) and hospitals filled with patients, health officials feared ventilator shortages.

Engineers leaped into action, innovating breathing machines faster and cheaper. Spectrum Magazine tells how from garages to university labs to corporate America, engineers produced plans and prototypes. Six designs had conditional FDA approval by May, including plans from Conventor, SecondBreath, Virgin Orbit and NASA’s JPL.

Many may never see the inside of a hospital. Was it worth it?

The answer is mixed. Some may find a market overseas. Others say it helped morale to try to problem-solve for the cause.

– Katherine Brennecke, The Engineering 100