Photo Credit Space Center Houston VITAL Ventilator
COLUMBUS, Ohio -
Sept. 28, 2020 -
PRLog -- Columbus-based STARK Industries, LLC has contributed to a new exhibit at Space Center Houston, highlighting
how NASA continues to innovate to overcome obstacles and benefit humanity during the COVID-19 pandemic. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California - VITAL ventilator design, is on loan to Space Center Houston from STARK Industries, LLC, and was manufactured in Ohio.
Space Center Houston's new Mission: Control the Spread exhibit tells the story behind NASA innovations to address COVID-19, what people can do to slow the spread of the coronavirus,
and what NASA does to keep astronauts safe. The exhibit provides guests with an up-close look at recent NASA innovations that support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of its efforts to address the critical shortage of ventilators created by the pandemic, NASA JPL designed a mechanical ventilator called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally). It is a high-pressure ventilator designed to be more cost effective and simpler to build than conventional ventilators. It uses one-seventh the number of parts of a traditional ventilator and uses parts that are readily available and domestically sourced in the United States. Because it offers a more affordable option for treating critically ill patients with respiratory failure, the VITAL ventilator can be produced in large quantities to address COVID-19-related ventilator shortages and needs while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe ventilator needs. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals.
The VITAL ventilator will be on display at Space Center Houston through December 31, 2020. To provide the latest information about NASA innovations and COVID-19, this exhibit will be updated as science and research about the coronavirus continues to evolve and NASA's future missions forge new innovations. Space Center Houston is also making this exhibit accessible to museums around the country, allowing the nonprofit to continue the spread of public information.
Headquartered in Columbus, OH, USA,
STARK Industries, LLC, is a non-exclusive licensee of the VITAL ventilator and innovates in areas of research and technological development across industry sectors within the medtech, healthcare, and aerospace industries.