Caption: The logo for the Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM) collaboration
TRIUMF is pleased to share news that Health Canada has authorized the Canadian Mechanical Ventilator Milano (MVM) design under an Interim Order, opening the door for the collaboration’s industry partner Vexos to begin production and distribution of the critical care machines to Canadian hospitals. The news was announced today in a Vexos press release.
The MVM collaboration is a wide-reaching international community of physicists, engineers, technicians, and medical professionals that has spearheaded the design of low-cost and locally-fabricated ventilators in countries around the world with the aim of relieving shortages and improving health outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Leveraging expertise in gas handling and exchange systems and mechanical engineering from within a national network of scientists, Canadian MVM partners TRIUMF, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, and SNOLAB have led the effort to prototype and test a novel, made-in-Canada ventilator.
Caption: A completed prototype of the Canadian MVM ventilator at TRIUMF
In May 2020, the Government of Canada announced it had signed a contract with industry global electronics manufacturing services provider Vexos to fabricate and distribute 10,000 ventilator units, pending authorization by Health Canada. TRIUMF and its national and international collaborators (which include Nobel Laureate Art McDonald) have mounted an accelerated research, design, and testing program for the ventilator, with teams working continuously to finalize an approval-ready design for Health Canada review.
“We are pleased that Health Canada has authorized the MVM ventilator design under an Interim Order,” said Reiner Kruecken, TRIUMF Deputy Director, Research and TRIUMF’s MVM project lead. “I am proud of our national teams for answering this call, and for the tireless effort they have undertaken to bring the ventilator design from lab bench to bed-side in just a few short months. We will continue to seek opportunities to leverage TRIUMF’s role as a hub for research, technology development, and industry collaboration to improve the lives of Canadians and those affected by the pandemic.”
The Vexos press release with comments from government officials is here.
You can read more about the TRIUMF community’s COVID-19 response efforts here.