Since early January this year, COVID-19 (novel coronavirus pneumonia) has wreaked havoc around the world. Even though it is already July, many countries are still unable to control the continuous spread of the pandemic and more than 10 million people around the world have been infected. As a result, many countries have experienced a huge surge in patients, leading to a serious shortage of medical staff and resources. There is a significant difference between the number of ventilators available and the number of patients who need medical attention. The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that the United States requires approx. 960,000 ventilators to treat patients infected with COVID-19. Considering the severity of the situation, President Donald Trump has ordered large medical manufacturers to fully invest in the production of ventilators and other medical consumables that are currently in great shortage.

Why do ventilators play such an important role in this pandemic? COVID-19 mainly attacks the human respiratory system, causing patients to suffer from respiratory failure. When the patient’s lungs fail and cannot result in proper gas exchange, a ventilator will be required to maintain normal breathing. Ventilator treatment is to assist the patients in breathing and recovering from respiratory failure, as well as to support the recovery of the lungs until patients can breathe normally.

Medtronic, a world-renowned medical manufacturer, not only shared its ventilator specifications with Tesla but also publicized the design specifications and technical documents of its Puritan Bennett™560 (PB 560) ventilator on March 30th. By disclosing the details to the ventilator’s design, Medtronic hopes that industrial manufacturers can evaluate the possibility of producing their own ventilators, so as to accelerate production and help the world fight against COVID-19. The PB560 ventilator adopts SUNON’s Maglev 40x40mm fan with the maglev motor to assist its centrifuge and power source to effectively dissipate heat, ensuring long-term stability and reliability. Moreover, the silencing design and excellent sound quality of this fan series make it ideal for patients who need rest and sleep.