[neverevergiveup]

One issue, apart from the standard ventilator mechanical components, is the circuit boards. Apparently China has been supplying the circuit boards for ventilators. The following is about a company in Michigan that is ramping up domestic production of these circuit boards.

https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/content/news/Calumet-Electronics-filling-rush-orders-for-circuit-boards-used-in-breathing-ventilators-568976591.html

[Bobalu]

Generally a ventilator is controlled by a microcontroller, basically a computer on a single chip.

The British designed ARM controller is used in a lot of medical gear.

The ventilator is a simple device as medical equipment goes.

Actually one controller could operate several ventilators at the same time.

It’s sort of a computer controlled bellows with I/O from various medical sensors like O2 sat, pressure, volume delivered and many more...all with watchdog circuitry operating to make certain nothing goes awry.

An automaker should be able to produce such a device in short order since they have very qualified EE’s and good assembly line workers.

I’m certain you could round up a team of freepers that could do the design...we have a lot of talent here.

[JPJones]

That’s great! UPer’s saving the day!

[jhastey]

There are still a handful of companies here in the USA that can make the circuit boards. The company I work for - Vitesco (formerly known as Continental AG and before that Motorola) has made electronic circuit boards in the heart of Texas for over 30 years and can make just about any circuit board provided we have access to the schematics, engineering drawings, and raw components.