Army awards first two prizes for COVID-19 ventilator challenge

The Army today selected two companies to develop prototype emergency ventilators to be used in the field in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a press release.

Spiro Devices and AirMid Critical Care Products have been awarded $100,000 prizes through an Expeditionary Technology Search, or xTechSearch, competition launched earlier this month by Army acquisition executive Bruce Jette.

The Army is looking for low-cost, easily produced emergency ventilators that can operate in austere and rural environments, the release says. The service wants to produce 10,000 ventilator units within eight weeks through the competition.

Spiro Devices proposed a breathing bag-based solution, while AirMid Critical Care Products proposed a bellows-based technology.

The service is still accepting submissions for the competition.