FDA Approves 3D-Printed Splitting Device to Quadruple Ventilator Capacity
Prisma Health creates a free, 3D-printed ventilator connector that allows one machine to treat up to four COVID-19 patients simultaneously. The FDA grants emergency use authorization for this last-resort medical hardware as hospitals face severe equipment shortages.
Prisma Health introduces the VESper, a 3D-printed three-way connector that expands a single ventilator to treat up to four patients at once. Designed by an emergency room doctor and a software engineer, this deceptively simple hardware device addresses the critical shortage of life-saving ventilators as COVID-19 hospitalizations surge across the country.
The device works in pairs that attach to the intake and return of standard ISO-compliant ventilators and includes filtering to prevent cross-contamination. Because the shared machine delivers identical oxygen mixes and air pressure to everyone connected, medical staff only use the VESper on patients who require the exact same clinical settings. Prisma Health provides the printing specifications for free to hospitals with 3D printers and relies on donated funds to print units for facilities without manufacturing capabilities.
The FDA clears this prototype strictly as a last-resort measure under Emergency Use Authorization, meaning hospitals deploy it only after exhausting all standard, fully approved ventilator supplies. Healthcare providers using the VESper are required to report real-world performance data so that designers can continuously refine the device to maximize patient safety and efficacy during the pandemic.