In an incredible move, on Monday Medtronic made the design specifications for the Puritan Bennett 560 (PB 560) ventilator open source.
To access the files, you need to register on the site, but beyond that, you are free to use the files to reproduce and even sell the ventilators. You can use pretty much everything except the logo. Legal language really spells that out. Stay away from that logo.
By making the design availble, the company hopes manufacturers across multiple industries and around the globe will use the plans to ramp up ventilator manufacturing and help doctors and patients dealing with COVID-19 gain access to this critical equipment.
The PB 560 ventilator is a small and portable ventilator that treats both adults and children.
In a tweet, Omar Ishrak, Medtronic CEO, said "An unprecedented human challenge requires an unprecedented response."
Around since 2010, the PB 560 is available in 35 countries around the world.
To download product and service manuals, design requirement documents, manufacturing documents, and schematics, visit Medtronic.com/openventilator.
Ventilators play a critical role in the management of patients with severe respiratory illness, such as COVID-19. Without ventilation support, some patients will die.
The permissive license is effective from the time you download the files until the final day World Health Organization's Public Health Emergency of International Concern is in effect or October 1, 2024. Let's hope it's the former.
