News > NASA develops high-pressure ventilator to fight COVID-19

NASA develops high-pressure ventilator to fight COVID-19

VITAL is designed to treat patients with milder symptoms, thereby keeping the country's limited supply of traditional ventilators available for patients with more severe COVID-19 symptoms.

NASA is now seeking FDA approval for the device via an emergency use authorization, a fast-track approval process developed for crisis situations. VITAL can be built faster and maintained more easily than a traditional ventilator, and is composed of far fewer parts.