Genrich Membranes, a spin-off company, based on proprietary technology licensed from CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune is being funded by the Centre to scale up a device to enrich oxygen supply in the air for the treatment of COVID-19 positive patients.
A release by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Thursday stated that the device, known as a Membrane Oxygenator Equipment (MOE) that it has developed to treat COVID-19 patients. Based on innovative, indigenous hollow-fiber membrane technology, the MOE enriches oxygen in the air up to 35% under pressure (4-7 bar, using oil-free compressor).
The equipment consists of membrane cartridge, oil-free compressor, output flowmeter, humidifier bottle, nasal-cannula, and tubing and fittings. The compressed, filtered air from the compressor is fed to the membrane cartridge, which selectively permeates oxygen over nitrogen offering oxygen-enriched air as the product at the ambient pressure. The membrane cartridge capable of distinguishing oxygen and nitrogen restricts the passage of viruses, bacteria, and particulate matter. The product air is of medical grade.
The device is safe, does not require trained manpower for its operation, needs minimum maintenance, is portable, compact, and with plug-and-play facility provides on-site, quick-start oxygen-enriched air.
"Medical-grade oxygen-enriched air is needed in a variety of patient care settings including COVID-19 situations where the global experience is about 14% infections require some kind of respiratory support, but only about 4% need ICU based ventilators. The rest of this population, as well as in many other conditions involving chronic breathing problems, this innovation promises to be of excellent value", said Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
With an urgent requirement of respiratory interventions to treat breathlessness, one of the critical symptoms of COVID 19, the equipment can be used to treat patients who have been released from Intensive Care Units (ICU). The device can also be helpful for patients suffering from chronic breathing problems like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Asthma, Interstitial lung disease (ILD), pre-term babies, snake bite, and so on.
The Entrepreneurship Development Center (Venture Centre), Pune, is planning to join hands with established medical device companies to mass manufacture the device to get this ready within three months.
