Ventec Life Systems

About Ventec Life Systems

Ventec Life Systems develops and manufactures portable life-support ventilators for patients with respiratory diseases, intended for use in hospital, transport, and home care settings. The company was founded in 2013 in Bothell, Washington, by Douglas DeVries. DeVries, a mechanical engineer with an extensive background in developing commercially successful ventilators and the holder of 26 patents in medical device design, was motivated to start the company after his father was diagnosed with ALS. This personal experience drove him to create a more integrated and user-friendly solution for ventilator patients and their caregivers.

The company's flagship product is the VOCSN, an acronym for Ventilator, Oxygen concentrator, Cough assist, Suction, and Nebulizer. This device integrates these five distinct therapies, which traditionally require separate machines, into a single, portable unit that is approximately 70% lighter and smaller than the individual components combined. The VOCSN system received FDA clearance in April 2017. It is designed for both pediatric and adult patients and can be used for invasive, non-invasive, and mouthpiece ventilation. Key features include a unified circuit, a touchscreen interface for simplified operation, up to 9 hours of battery life, and data reporting capabilities for clinicians. By combining these functions, VOCSN aims to improve patient mobility, reduce the risk of infection from switching circuits, and ease the burden on caregivers.

A significant milestone for Ventec was its partnership with General Motors during the COVID-19 pandemic to fulfill a U.S. government order for 30,000 critical care ventilators, scaling production by a factor of 80 in just over five months. On August 4, 2022, Ventec Life Systems was acquired by React Health, a company that has been expanding its portfolio in the respiratory and sleep therapy markets. Ventec operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of React Health.