Panaji, April 2 (IANS) Ayuron, a company in which former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar was once a director and is now manned by his kin, is in the process of promoting affordable and simple-to-use ventilator technology, in a bid to bridge the nationwide paucity of the life-saving equipment.

Speaking to IANS, Utpal Parrikar, the former Defence Minister's elder son, said the core technology for the ventilators were developed in the US and most of the components utilised in the making of the critical units were manufactured in India, which would make it easier to produce them on a mass scale, in view of the disruption in the global supply chain due COVID-19 crisis.

"The ventilators can be completely manufactured in India, which is critical in the current crisis. They are simple to use and even the nursing staff can be trained to operate and because of the simplistic design, bigger companies can produce them in large numbers," Parrikar said.

The ventilators' foundational technology was invented by doctors Raj Sardesai, Smeeta Sardesai, Nolan Sardesai and Ramanathan at the Eupnea Technologies in Los Angeles, California, while the life-saving gadgets' innovative control technology, including inventing and interfacing oxygenation sensing and monitoring was developed at the Goa-based Ayuron, originally founded with the late Parrikar as one of its directors.

The late politician quit the directorship of the firm, which initially manufactured orthopedic implants, after he was elected as Chief Minister.

Utpal, his wife Uma and his brother Abhijat are now partners in the firm.

Utpal Parrikar also said, that Ayuron had originally planned to start manufacturing of hi-tech ventilators using the same US-patented technology, but on account of the COVID-19 crisis and the increasing need for speedy manufacture of ventilator units, the company has adapted to promoting an affordable and scaled-down version of the ventilator technology.

"If we had started manufacturing ventilators at our firm in Goa, we may not have been able to manufacture as many ventilators as would be required in the current crisis. So we are offering the technology to bigger companies who can ramp up production of these units, which is necessary," Parrikar said, adding that the ventilator technology has already been tested on lung machines and animal models.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urge to scale up production of medical equipment, including ventilators, which are critical life-support mechanisms for patients suffering from COVID-19.