Dubai unveils UAE-made ventilator to treat coronavirus patients

The M061 prototype was designed and built over eight weeks by a team of UAE-based and international engineers

The M061 ventilator. Ventilators are in short supply across the globe. Courtesy: Dubai Future Foundation

Dubai Future Foundation unveiled a prototype ventilator on Saturday, which was developed in the UAE to treat coronavirus patients and boost local manufacturing capabilities.

The ventilator named M061 was designed and built over eight weeks by a team of UAE-based and international engineers, programmers and industry experts, Dubai Future Foundation said in a statement on Saturday.

“Over an eight-week period, the project team worked relentlessly to design and build the M061 ventilator system as a modular and scalable prototype, relying on interchangeable components that are easy to source and integrate, in an effort to circumvent the worldwide scarcity of crucial medical supplies,” it said.

The healthcare project is a partnership between a number of government departments including Dubai Future Foundation, The Office of Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, the Dubai Covid-19 Command and Control Centre and others.

It was initiated and implemented under the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, to address the urgent need for large numbers of mechanical ventilators that play a crucial role in treating patients with severe symptoms of Covid-19.

“Within the context of the intense pressure global supply chains face as a result of restrictions in different countries, the M061 project serves as a response to calls for local ventilator production to meet the needs of the UAE population,” it added.

Globally, ventilators are in short supply with demand only increasing as cases rise.

The prototype is expected to support, rather than replace, existing hospital ventilators to ensure they have broader medical applications and can last for significantly longer durations.

The team plans to execute a rigorous testing cycle, under the supervision of pulmonary specialists and clinicians in Dubai hospitals, to ensure the ventilator system complies with established standards and meets international requirements.

The UAE is looking to boost its local manufacturing capabilities as it tackles the pandemic. Last month, Mubadala Investment Company, Abu Dhabi’s strategic investment arm, joined hands with industrial company Honeywell to produce N95 face masks at Strata manufacturing facility in Al Ain.