Physics experts are working at Europe's CERN lab to create a basic ventilator for mild coronavirus sufferers and recovering patients, the facility said on Wednesday.

The Swiss-based lab says a model that could run on batteries should be ready for testing in hospitals within weeks and could eventually free up heavy-duty machines for use on critical COVID-19 patients.

The facility in Geneva is developing ideas pitched by its 18,000-strong global network of experts.

"We want to deploy our resources and competences to contribute to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," said director-general Fabiola Gianotti.

CERN is home to the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) - a giant lab in a tunnel straddling the French-Swiss border that is the world's most powerful particle accelerator.