Case Study: Aura Project (Aura) accelerates low‑cost ventilator development and cuts startup costs 40–50% with Protolabs

First-Time Medical Designers Aim to Increase Ventilator Accessibility During Pandemic

Aura, led by founder Corey Mack and the Aura Project team, set out in 2020 to design a low‑cost ventilator for nonprofits, NGOs and hospitals serving developing and underserved communities. Facing a compressed timeline, tight budget and unfamiliar FDA requirements for a first‑time medical device, Aura partnered with Protolabs to access rapid prototyping and low‑volume manufacturing services (quick‑turn sheet metal fabrication, Multi Jet Fusion 3D printing and planned injection molding) to accelerate development.

Protolabs supported Aura with automated manufacturing analysis and live engineering, enabling 14 rapid design iterations and cutting startup costs by 40–50%. Protolabs’ quick‑turn parts (sheet metal in 3–4 days, fast MJF prints) and a cost‑saving foldable design concept reclaimed about $90,000 in future production costs; Aura plans to ramp to 500 units/month (~6,000 parts/month) with Protolabs supplying nearly all components (except display and knobs) and shipping kits to improve global ventilator accessibility.

Aura

Corey Mack

Founder and Designer