CPAP Device

The world was gripped by the Covid Pandemic in 2020 and NHS hospitals were struggling with rising numbers of patients and not enough equipment. Engineers at Mercedes HPP (High Performance Powertrains) at Brixworth and University College of London (UCL) responded to the crisis with the development of the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device.

This device helped Covid-19 patients to breath more easily when an oxygen mask was insufficient and when ventilators were a precious resource used for those who were severely ill. They work by pushing an air-oxygen mix into the mouth and nose at a continuous pressure, keeping airways open and increasing the amount of oxygen entering the blood stream.

The HPP team who usually design, manufacture, test and race Formula 1 engines, used their knowledge and skills alongside UCL engineers to reverse engineer the device. Amazingly it only took 100 hours from the first meeting to produce the successful device. Speed was of the essence to make sure they were deployed before Covid-19 admissions peaked.

Forty machines that were normally used to make F1 pistons and turbo chargers were given over to making the CPAP devices with over 10,000 made. The design details for manufacturing the device were also shared freely with other manufacturers and the designs have been shared across 105 countries.

Number 99 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.