A Spanish solidarity initiative has been launched to help deal with the scarcity of ventilators available for patients potentially suffering during the pandemic.
OxyVita
The shortage of ventilators in the country has put high-risk patients in grave danger due to them not having the proper equipment to aid patients in their recovery.
It is based on a design by British engineer Frede Jensen who has significant experience in the development of medical devices and ventilators.
The initiative has bred Oxyvita, the new mechanical ventilator for invasive ventilation, to help combat the shortage and aid the most serious patients.
It incorporates a redundant safety system and a complete set of alarms which allows healthcare staff with little-to-no intensive care experience to use it after a basic 30-minute training exercise.
The project is being led by innovation network Ennomotive with the support of neutral fiber optic carrier, Lyntia.
Oxyvita passed the animal tests and is in the process of obtaining authorisation from the Spanish Agency for Medicine and Sanitary Products (AEMPS) to begin clinical tests on humans.
The initiative’s primary goal is to provide aid to any country that cannot locally source ventilators quickly enough to meet demand.
It will also be available for makeshift wards and humanitarian missions anywhere in the world.
The ventilator was designed and chosen due to its ability to be assembled quickly and locally in the countries where it is needed. This is especially true for places such as Latin America, where cases of the virus continue to rise exponentially.
The electronics and the software for the ventilators can be sent directly from Spain, while the remaining components can be acquired at the destination.
This makes these ventilators relatively cheap to produce – around €1,000 – while conventional ventilators range anywhere from €9,000 to €60,000.
Outside of Spain, these medical devices are also being launched in Chile, Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador.
The initiative is collaborating with various medical organisations, NGOs, funding companies and manufacturers to ensure the ventilators reach as many people in need as possible.
Back to Homepage
Back to Healthcare