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As confirmed today by the UK Government, over the past two weeks a collective of seven UK-based Formula 1 teams, their respective technology arms and Formula 1, have made significant progress in defining and coordinating their response to the British Government's request for assistance with the manufacture of medical devices to assist in the treatment of patients with COVID-19. The combined efforts of the seven teams, called 'Project Pitlane', are part of a UK industry effort to manufacture and deliver respiratory devices to meet national need. Following decisions made this week by the UK Government, the Pitlane Project focuses on three lines of work. The scope of these workflows varies from reverse engineering existing medical devices, to help scale production of existing ventilator designs as part of the VentilatorChallengeUK consortium, to rapid design and prototyping of a new device for certification and subsequent production. In each case, Project Pitlane will combine the resources and capabilities of its member teams to greatest effect, focusing on the core skills of the F1 industry: rapid design, prototyping, testing and skilled assembly. F1's unique ability to respond quickly to technological as well as engineering challenges allows the group to add value to the broader engineering industry response.
The focus of Project Pitlane will now be on coordinating and responding to the clear challenges that have been set out. All seven teams remain ready to support other areas requiring rapid and innovative technological responses to the unique challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mercedes F1 shares The Mercedes F1 team has helped develop a respiratory aid to keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care, with a host of other rival teams collaborating to provide UK America Cell Phone Number List hospitals with thousands of extra ventilators. Doctors and mechanical engineers at University College London (UCL) worked with Mercedes to create the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device, which has been approved by the NHS. The potentially life-saving technology has already been used in China, where the coronavirus first emerged in December, and also in hospitals in Italy, the epicenter of the pandemic in Europe. The device helps COVID-19 patients with severe lung infections caused by the disease, such as pneumonia, breathe more easily when oxygen alone is not enough.

Reports from Italy indicate that approximately 50% of patients receiving CPAP have avoided the need for an invasive mechanical ventilator, equipment the UK government is working to stock. Professor Mervyn Singer, a critical care consultant at UCL Hospital, said: These devices will help save lives by ensuring that ventilators, a limited resource, are used only for the most seriously ill. While they will be tested first at UCL Hospital, we hope they will make a real difference to hospitals across the UK by reducing demand on intensive care staff and beds, as well as helping patients recover without the need for ventilation. more invasive. Production is also ramping up on ventilators, with several F1 teams involved in a joint effort by British industrial, technology and engineering companies from the aerospace, automotive and medical sectors. Haas F1, McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull Racing, Racing Point, Renault Sport Racing and Williams have teamed up with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens to produce the ventilators the UK does not have.
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