© Provided by CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As spread of COVID-19 continues throughout the country, demand for medical ventilators could skyrocket.

Many are already expressing concerns about potential shortages, but there’s a doctor at the University of Minnesota who says he just created a simpler, cheaper ventilator that could save lives.

Univeristy of Minnesota Anesthesiology fellow Dr. Steve Richardson started work on his ventilator last Sunday, sourcing equipment and resources from biomedical engineer friends and other private companies.

Within hours of starting, Richardson finished a simple, effective prototype that he is now perfecting.

He says if the FDA clears a path for production, he could scale it quickly, producing thousands within three weeks at a fraction of the cost of a traditional hospital ventilator.

“People have just been working around the clock every day since Sunday morning, and we have a ventilator that I would be comfortable being anesthetized with,” Richardson said.

If you would like to donate resources, supplies, research, manpower or funds to continue this project, visit coventors.com