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LONDON, April 16 (Reuters) - Britain has given the first
regulatory approval to a ventilator being built by a consortium
of firms including Airbus and Rolls-Royce as part of efforts to
combat the coronavirus.
Governments around the world are trying to boost the number
of ventilators - mechanical breathing devices that can blow air
and oxygen into the lungs - available to their health services.
The modified version of an existing device by Penlon will
join a product from fellow medical firm Smiths, which is already
being built by the group of aerospace, engineering, Formula 1
and automotive companies to fulfil a government order.
"We are working closely with our supply chain partners to
rapidly scale up production to achieve our target of at least
1,500 units a week," said Dick Elsy, the chief executive of the
VentilatorChallengeUK consortium.
The government said on Thursday it was confirming an order
for 15,000 Penlon devices.
Airbus' Broughton site, which makes wings for
commercial aircraft, Ford's Dagenham engine factory and
McLaren's Woking site are being used as part of the process, he
said.
Separately, vacuum-cleaner firm Dyson is still awaiting
approval for its ventilator.
(Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Kate Holton)
