KARACHI: A low-cost, portable and briefcase-size ventilator developed by Pakistani doctors, biomedical engineers and software developers at Aga Khan University has received a US patent.
The patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office recognises over “20 innovative aspects” of the university’s Resuscitation Automation Device (RAD) that can offer “prompter and lifesaving treatment” to patients suffering from critical respiratory problems, says a press release issued here.
People with severe forms of pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease — two of the top 10 leading causes of death in Pakistan — require immediate access to ventilators but the cost and size of existing ventilators means they are only available in hospitals.
“Patients facing breathing difficulties continue to face delays in receiving care due to two deficits in the clinical environment,” said Saleem Sayani, director of the Technology Innovation Support Centre and Digital Health Resource Centre at AKU.
“There is a shortage of trained personnel who can effectively operate manually pumped ambu bags for moderately ill patients, and there is also a lack of high-end ventilators for critically ill patients.
“The RAD aims to act as a bridge between manually operated ambu bags — which can be difficult, unreliable and distressing to use — and expensive ventilators which can have long waiting times. The patented device consists of a battery-operated motor that automatically inflates and deflates a medical-grade ambu bag in line with a self-adjusting, propriety algorithm that ensures a stable air supply to patients suffering from breathing difficulties.
“Since the RAD is compact enough to fit in an ambulance, moderately ill patients can also potentially access care while on the way to hospital. In addition, the RAD can be remotely operated through a mobile application which means that emergency room physicians can manage the device’s settings from afar while the patient is in the ambulance.
“The app also gives hospital staff access to real-time data about a patient’s health.”
“Too many precious lives are lost due [to] lack of timely ventilation,” added Dr Junaid Razzak, director of AKU’s Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies.
Dr Huba Atiq, assistant director at AKU’s Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies, was part of the team that proposed the idea of RAD.
Clinical trials on the RAD are set to begin soon to assess its safety and efficacy.
The team anticipates the RAD to be launched a year after the completion of clinical trials.
Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2021
