Minnesota students create new ventilator

It's made from sheet metal, and is the plans are available for anyone

Coronavirus first tonight... medical supplies are still in high demand as our health care workers on the front line keep battling this pandemic.

One item hospitals are in drastic need of: ventilators.

A group of students at the university of minnesota has come up with a solution.

Kimt news 3's nick kruszalnicki talked to one of the students behind the innovation and joins us live now.

Nick?

Yes george ?

"* the device is called the coventer.

It is a temporary ventilator made from sheet metal ?

"* just like what this sign is made out of.

Right now the device is out there saving lives.

This mechanical marvel was the brainchild of aaron tucker, the lead engineer on the project.

He tells me he tried to make the design as simple as possible, so it can be made quickly and easily.

Tucker and his team have made the plans for the coventer freely available for anyone to build.

What's amazing about the project ?

"* is the very short amount of time it was so, a 67 day timeline from when we had the project introduced to when the 3?

"* thousand units had rolled off the line at boston scientific.

The company that is making the coventer has been able to crank out 100 to 150 of the units per day.

Companies as far away as south africa are reaching out to the university to manufacture the device.

Live in mason city, nick kruszalnicki, thanks nick.

The university of minnesota has also designed an easy?

"*to?

"* manufacture medi gown and protective mask./// one of the most effective tools in the fight against the coronavirus