COVID-19: Tractebel supports the production of intelligent ventilator prototypes

On 21 March, colleagues of Tractebel and other ENGIE’s companies became aware of a call by the Herregodts brothers who were looking for companies with which they could work to perfect the prototype based on their ventilator device. ENGIE’s combined team immediately contacted the non-profit organisation, as did other equally committed companies, and quickly decided to join the project.  

ENGIE’s combined team supplied the people and resources needed to construct three prototypes in collaboration with electronics specialist Velleman. A team from ENGIE Fabricom and ENGIE Axima finetuned the original design and fabricated mechanical parts for the ventilator in their laboratories at Zwijndrecht. Tractebel and the R&D department of ENGIE undertook coordination of the project and experts from ENGIE Laborelec tested the mechanical design. Velleman equipped the prototype with intelligent electronics and software.

The prototypes were finally delivered on April 17 to the Gear Up Medical non-profit organisation and will now undergo different tests for validation, notably by using an artificial digital lung in hospital conditions.

ENGIE’s combined team thanks Velleman for the great collaboration in these exceptional times and wishes Gear Up Medical every success in the development, certification and production of the ventilator, with the hope that it will soon be available to help hospitals across the world to care for patients affected by the novel coronavirus.  To finance this process, the non-profit organisation Gear Up Medical is seeking financial support to purchase parts, in order to obtain certification and commence production.

To donate, visit: https://www.coronaventilator.be/#funding.

Intelligent ventilator prototypes