Photo/Illutration Tran Ngoc Phuc, center, chairman of Metran Co., watches over the production of respirators for patients with COVID-19 at Marelli Corp.’s plant in Saitama on July 22. (Ari Hirayama)

KAWAGUCHI, Saitama Prefecture--A company here is fielding inquiries from all over the world after developing a ventilator that it says anybody can operate and which costs one-10th the price of conventional devices.

“Only a limited number of countries and hospitals are in a position to purchase expensive ventilators,” said Tran Ngoc Phuc, the Vietnamese founder of medical equipment maker Metran Co. “Producing cheaper respirators in bulk will help to save countless lives.”

Phuc, 73, worked with an auto parts manufacturer to develop the device to reduce the burden on doctors grappling with the COVID-19 crisis.

He was particularly concerned about relieving the hardships that doctors in developing countries face.

Metran's main business is manufacturing respirators to help keep premature babies alive. Its products are widely used in hospitals nationwide. Emperor Emeritus Akihito visited the company's factory in 2012 before he abdicated.

Phuc noted that doctors battling the novel coronavirus pandemic are being stretched to the limit as only respiratory specialists are allowed to operate breathing equipment deemed so vital to cope with the surge in cases.

The machine's operation was simplified so users, at the touch of a button, can select operation modes, depending on whether patients are breathing spontaneously. A safe pressure system sends oxygen at a constant pressure.

Conventional ventilators determine the amount of oxygen to be pumped based on a patient’s body size and health condition.

The slimmed down device costs around 600,000 yen ($5,698), one-10th the price of conventional models.

Metran teamed with Saitama-based Marelli Corp., which manufactures a wide range of automotive products such as electric powertrain and lighting, to churn out 2,000 units a month. A clinical trial covering 60 cases in Vietnam showed that Phuc's ventilator works as well as its pricey counterparts, the company said.

The first five units that rolled out of the factory were donated to Bolivia. Metran said it has received a succession of orders from Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and India, among other nations.

The device has yet to gain approval for use in Japan, but more than one medical center has already contacted Metran about purchasing machines at a later date, according to Metran representatives.

Phuc arrived in Japan as a student in 1968 while the Vietnam War was raging. Deciding it was impossible to return to his homeland, he opted to live permanently in Japan and adopt Japanese citizenship.

As chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Japan, Phuc is also involved in ways to provide assistance for Vietnamese students and interns in Japan.

“I am indebted to both Vietnam and Japan,” said Phuc, adding that he will continue trying to lend a helping hand to both countries.

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