Turkish appliance giant Arcelik and biomedical company Biosys have collaborated to develop an oxygen therapy device critical for treating COVID-19, Biosys announced Monday.

"After a year of R&D and development of the BiO2Flow High Flow Oxygen Therapy Device, one of the most critical devices in the treatment of COVID-19, we completed the production work in cooperation with Arcelik," said Biosys CEO Cemal Erdogan in a statement.

"The device started to be actively used in our hospitals in order to support our healthcare workers struggling with the pandemic at the expense of their lives," he added.

As BIO2Flow can operate and be transported independently from intensive care units, companies aim to provide great support to healthcare professionals, said the statement.

Earlier in the pandemic, Arcelik and Biosys collaborated on the mass production of mechanical ventilators with the help of fellow Turkish firms Arcelik, Aselsan, and Baykar, under the leadership of the Turkish government, through the Health Ministry and Industry and Technology Ministry.

Meeting a critical need in the age of COVID-19, the Turkish-made ventilators are now in use in over 30 countries./aa