i3 Breather team. Photo: L3Harris

A team led by L3Harris Technologies engineers has designed a ventilation support system to help patients combat COVID-19 as part of the U.S. government’s Hack-A-Vent Innovation Challenge. 

The team’s i3 Breather design was one of five designs initially selected for next phase testing out of 172 nationwide submissions. Following the selection, L3Harris said the team worked around-the-clock to deliver the prototype in three weeks. Now, the i3Breather and the other prototypes are undergoing testing for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The i3 Breather team includes employees from L3Harris, a student from Baylor University, a member of Maker’s Edge Makerspace in Waco, Texas, and six physicians from Texas and California.

“I am extremely proud and inspired by the i3 Breather team’s ability to develop a life-saving solution for a critical public health need in just three weeks,” said Sean Stackley, L3Harris president of Integrated Mission Systems. “The result showcases their agility and innovative spirit and highlights the power of a government and industry partnership to combat a global crisis such as COVID-19.” 

L3Harris is also responding to the COVID-19 crisis by accelerating payments to its suppliers.
Last, week, the company announced that it is accelerating more than $100 million in payments to small business suppliers, and began making payments last week to small businesses in 45 states in its supply chain.