Three Indian companies are among the 21 firms that have got the licences from United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to manufacture the ventilators developed by the space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for treatment of COVID-19 patients, reports Times of India.

The three Indian companies that got NASA’s approval are Alpha Design Technologies Private Limited, Bharat Forge Limited, and Medha Servo Drives Private Limited.

Besides, eight companies from the United States, three from Brazil, and one each from Australia, Canada, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates have also been approved by NASA to manufacture the ventilators.

The prototype, which was created by JPL engineers in just 37 days, received an Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on 30 April, NASA said in a release on Friday (29 May).

Called VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally), the high-pressure ventilator was designed to use one-seventh the parts of a traditional ventilator, relying on parts already available in supply chains, NASA said.

It offers a simpler, more affordable option for treating critical patients while freeing up traditional ventilators for those with the most severe COVID-19 symptoms. Its flexible design means it also can be modified for use in field hospitals.