Fitbit’s Emergency Ventilator gets FDA Approval

Fitbit Flow has already received Emergency Use Authorization from the US FDA for use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fitbit (NYSE: FIT) announced it has developed a high-quality, low-cost, easy-to-use emergency ventilator, Fitbit Flow, which has obtained Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for use during the COVID-19 public health emergency

Wearable company Fitbit has officially unveiled the Fitbit Flow, a new ventilator with FDA approval for use during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ventilator has been granted emergency use authorization by the FDA, meaning it can only be used to treat people during the current health crisis. Fitbit tells that it hopes to sell the Flow for around $5,000, significantly less than traditional ventilators, and that production is scheduled to begin this month.

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Fitbit says that the Flow is designed around resuscitator bags used by paramedics, but features additional sensors and alarms to help monitor patients. The wearable company consulted with medical staff and practitioners while developing the ventilator, which it hopes will be easier to use than traditional ventilators.

“We know from some conversations that physicians are already trying to work out the ethics in deciding who gets the ventilator and who doesn’t, due to shortage of supply,” said Fitbit’s Senior Staff Research Scientist Dr. Tony Faranesh. “The goal here is to support life in the event that one’s not available until one might become available.”

The team at Fitbit is working on improving the Fitbit Flow by including a high-resolution add-on display, for viewing the system’s status and pressure waveforms.