NASA engineers who have been working from home shifted their focus from space travel to the pandemic, designing several new devices for COVID-19 treatments and hospital sterilization, according to Federal News Network.
NASA developed the technology as part of the agency's NASA@Work initative, which aims to generate innovative ideas by employees. NASA employees began submitting prospective projects to support COVID-19 medical responses on April 1, and more than 4,000 employees voted on the submissions.
The ideas were presented last week to President Donald Trump at the White House.
Here are four of the projects:
1. A new ventilator was designed for COVID-19 patients with milder symptoms. The Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally passed testing at New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System and is under review by the FDA for emergency-use authorization, according to Space.com.
2. A helmet, dubbed the Aerospace Valley Positive Pressure Helmet, provides oxygen pressure for COVID-19 patients while protecting healthcare workers from infection.
3. A sterilization system was designed for hospital rooms and surfaces; the system applies technology that NASA uses to sterilize spacecraft. Ambulances have already begun using the technology but NASA's alterations expand its ability to reach larger dimensions of a room.
4. NASA is also exploring the development of a device that can analyze a patient's breath, similar to a Breathalyzer, that could quickly test for COVID-19 or COVID-19 antibodies.