The Dyson CoVent ventilators are no longer required in the UK, according to a statement from Sir James Dyson.
Credit: Dyson
The UK government had originally ordered 10,000 CoVent ventilators and the company said it had worked with outside experts from the MHRA and the NHS throughout the design process to allow for quick regulatory clearance in order to increase ventilator capacity to tackle to the coronavirus.
The Dyson CEO and founder said he would hope the ventilators found use in other countries and that the £20 million spent on the project would be funded by himself – meaning he won’t be accepting money from the public purse.
A statement from Sir James Dyson said: "Dyson people welcomed the government’s challenge and, working round the clock, developed an entirely new ventilator in 30 days. Mercifully, they are not now required in the UK but we don’t regret our contribution to the national effort for one moment. I have some hope that our ventilator may yet help the response in other countries but that requires further time and investigation. Dyson has spent around £20 million on this project to date, I will be funding this and we will not be accepting any public money. The team have worked 24/7 to design and manufacture a sophisticated ventilator in a very short timeframe – I pay to tribute to their exceptional expertise and commitment and hope they can spend this weekend with their families who will not have seen them for weeks."
So far, the government has not commented on the situation regarding Dyson, and BBC News has reported it states that tests on ventilators are still ongoing. It has recently placed an order for 15,000 Penlon ventilators after its Prima ES02 model received authorisation from the MHRA.