TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan on Friday (May 8) unveiled the prototype of an indigenously developed ventilator, another example of how Taiwan can help and is helping in the global battle against the coronavirus pandemic. 

Developed in just 17 days, the device was based on a design released by U.S. medical technology company Medtronic, said the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). More than 500 key components are required for the ventilator, a type of equipment that is highly sought-after as hospitals worldwide scramble to treat patients with severe COVID-19 infections.

The successful development of the device can be attributed to Taiwan’s strengths in medicine, information and telecommunications, electromechanics, display technologies, electronic materials, and optics. Around 30 engineers from various fields were involved in the project, wrote CNA.

The ventilator bears testimony to Taiwan’s technological prowess and shows the country can be self-reliant in the production of certain strategically important items. Taiwan's ability to churn out large quantities of surgical masks, up to 19 million a day, has put it on the map, and it also boasts the technology required to produce hazmat suits for its own medical workers.

Taiwan is expected to manufacture 10 indigenous ventilators by October for type approval and produce 100 by June of next year. The nation also seeks to share its expertise in making the ventilators, calibration, and verification know-how.