Dyson is footing the AU$ 48 million bill that they spent to invent Dyson branded ventilators. The original 20,000 units ordered by the U.K. government has been cancelled.
Many countries are still in the thick of the challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic. The alleged source of the virus, China, has reportedly recovered from the pandemic. News sources are saying that the situation within the affected cities are already returning back to normal.
Despite these good news, many countries are still facing similar shortages of medical supplies. These were already their big problems at the onset of the infections. Hospitals are scrambling for donations for personal protective equipment and ventilators.
Many government have called up the help of private corporations to fill in the void of the lack of supply.
U.K. government’s ‘Ventilators Challenge U.K.’
Earlier this month, the U.K. government challenged private corporations to come up with a quick and fast way to supply ventilators to local hospitals. Several companies took the challenge, and immediately went to work.
The ventilators needed are crucial for a Coronavirus patients’ survival. They have to be immediately put on these machines as soon as they hit the critical level of the respiratory infection. The system isn’t as simple as hooking up a machine to a power outlet for oxygen supply to flow.
In fact, the machines that were asked to be manufactured all required to go through several steps of clearance from the government itself.
Dyson invents the ‘CoVent’
Dyson was one of those companies that took on the U.K. government’s challenge. The company immediately went to the drawing boards to use any of their existing technologies for the new ventilator.
After a few weeks of working and testing with the NHS and HRA, Dyson was able to put together a working ventilator.
Unfortunately, the scramble of the company ends up in a bittersweet success. On one hand, the company was able to put together appropriate resources in time for the new ventilators. On the other hand, they were given the news that the U.K. health system no longer needs additional ventilators as soon as they finished their new machine.
Nevertheless, Dyson CEO, Sir James Dyson, still sees their company’s effort as a massive win. He is glad to find out that the U.K. health system doesn’t need any more ventilators. Moreover, he is also glad that his employees working on the CoVent may soon return to their own families.
we don’t regret our contribution to the national effort for one moment. I have some hope that our ventilator may yet help the response in other countries, but that requires further time and investigation.
Images from Dyson