The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is an independent agency for space research, aeronautics and related programmes in the US, developed the ventilator specifically for coronavirus patients at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JLP) in Southern California.
Three Indian companies have got licences from NASA to manufacture its indigenously developed ventilators for critical COVID-19 patients.
The three Indian companies are Alpha Design Technologies Pvt Ltd, Bharat ForgeNSE 6.22 % Ltd and Medha Servo Drives Pvt Ltd, the space organisation said in a statement on Friday.
NASA said VITAL was developed with input from doctors and medical device manufacturers
Apart from the Indian firms, 18 other companies, including eight American and three Brazilian, have been selected to manufacture the critical breathing devices.