On Wednesday, the wearable technology company, Fitbit, said that its Fitbit Flow ventilator was approved for emergency amid the coronavirus pandemic by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Fitbit said the Flow ventilator is based on paramedics standard resuscitation bags but features additional automated instruments, sensors, and alarms that help monitor patients. In the hope of making the flow efficient and easy to use, the company consulted medical personnel and experts at the Oregon Health & Science University and Mass General Brigham Center, while developing it.
Fitbit’s Flow Ventilator aims to be a low-cost alternative to other pricey ventilators already in use.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Fitbit is one of the non-medical firms that are developing ventilators to help the infected. In March, Dyson, the vacuum maker, worked to produce a ventilator in 10 days, and at the end of April, NASA was granted emergency FDA approval for their ventilator.
Fitbit’s CEO and co-founder James Park said in a statement:
“We saw an opportunity to rally our expertise in advanced sensor development, manufacturing, and our global supply chain to address the critical and ongoing need for ventilators and help make a difference in the global fight against this virus,”
The Panthera Post 