Q&A: An intelligent oxygenation system that could eliminate need for ventilators
Med-Tech Innovation News caught up with Dagi Ben-Noon, CEO of Inspira Technologies, about its intelligent oxygenating system, which the company claims can eliminate the need for ventilators.
Tell us about Inspira’s oxygenating system – where did the idea come from?
Inspira’s vision was born when Dr. Udi Nussinovitch, the company’s co-founder and chief scientific officer, was a medical student during his active military service in the IDF. When one of Udi’s military friends suffered from pneumonia and was hospitalised in an intensive care unit, it was clear that a more justified and patient friendly solution was needed.
Witnessing a young person who, with no pre-existing conditions, was being treated in the ICU with highly invasive and high-risk procedures had a huge impact on Udi. The picture of his helpless friend in the ICU continued to bother him for many years as he became more and more determined to research and develop a new solution: one that would create hope and not crush any chance of survival. The need for a better solution evolved into the vision and establishment of Inspira.
Inspira is a medical technology company offering a solution for patients suffering with respiratory failure. Today doctors only have two options for treating patients: the first is supplemental solutions (nasal, BPAP, CPAP) where the patient is awake, responsive, and breathing spontaneously, but the high air pressure agitates patients and tires them. When these solutions fail to improve the patient’s oxygen saturation level, doctors need to shift to life supporting mechanical ventilators. This is a highly complicated, risky, and costly procedure where the patient is placed into a coma and the mechanical ventilator does the breathing for them. This treatment requires an ICU bed and staff and is a lengthy procedure that requires weaning (for those who survive). Inspira is positioned in between these two options, which utilises Augmented Respiratory Technology (ART). Our solution fits right in the gap, which we call the Respiratory Treatment Gap, offering a treatment for blood oxygenation and increasing the oxygen saturation level within 60 seconds, all while the patient is awake and responsive. This is an entirely new treatment category for respiratory failure.
How does this “eliminate” the need for ventilators?
The use of mechanical ventilation exposes the patient to many risks such as infections, tears and cracks in the lung’s wall, and more. All are the result of the mechanical ventilator itself and not caused by the patient’s original condition of respiratory failure.
ART prevents all of the risks associated with mechanical ventilation and is minimally invasive. Inspira is setting a new standard of respiratory care by enabling patients to receive treatment outside of an ICU whilst awake and spontaneously breathing. The Inspira ART-500 directly oxygenates patients’ blood, letting their lungs rest and heal.
How is the system developed – both in terms of the materials that go into any physical device and the intelligent technology?
The Inspira ART-500 has been developed to directly oxygenate blood, whilst allowing the patient to remain awake and breathe spontaneously, preventing the need for mechanical ventilation.
The system has been developed and designed with an emphasis on ease of use, ensuring it can easily be administered by medical staff. This includes a plug-and-play cartridge that easily clicks into place, containing all of the required preassembled consumables. The ART-500 also has a self-priming system which automatically flushes the entire system, making it ready for use.
The system itself is comprised of six main components:
- A small dual lumen cannula which is inserted into the jugular vein to draw and reinfuse oxygenated blood.
- An oxygenator (which oxygenates and removes CO2 from blood).
- A unique proprietary pump designed to prevent haemolysis and thrombosis.
- An intelligent operating system that monitors the patient and dynamically controls the blood flow and oxygen levels.
- Sensors that monitor specific parameters of the patient that prompt the operating system.
- An automatic priming system that allows for quick and easy preparation of the system for use, saving important time prior to initial administration of the system.
What makes this easier to operate than a standard ventilator?
Standard mechanical ventilation requires inducing a coma and intubating the patient. This requires highly qualified personnel and clinicians such as anaesthetists as well as tight monitoring of the patient, all of which means that the procedure requires an ICU setting.
On top of that, the use of mechanical ventilation exposes the patient to many risks such as infections, tears and cracks in the lung walls, and more. All are the result of the mechanical ventilator itself and not caused by the patient’s original condition of respiratory failure.
The ART-500 has a far less intense learning curve than traditional mechanical ventilators. The easily inserted cartridge and self-priming system both create less opportunities for human error. The ART-500 also incorporates smart, automatic sensors that prompt the intelligent operating system.
Do you envisage more innovations like your own in light of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Inspira commenced the research, development, and design of the ART technology prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to provide a safe and easily administered treatment for respiratory failure in order to prevent the need for mechanical ventilators. The effects of COVID-19 only further highlighted the complications and risks associated with mechanical ventilators.
We are confident that there is a real need in the market, with a huge gap between the supplemental treatments (such as B-PAP oxygen masks) and risky mechanical ventilators. Inspira fills this gap by offering a new first line standard of respiratory care.
We have embedded an immense amount of innovation in our technology which is well protected by a broad portfolio of patents. This has already triggered interest by some of the major hospitals and industry players internationally.
We are not aware of other similar developments, although we also don’t know what others might be quietly developing. In any case, we welcome others to participate, as respiratory failure is widespread and impacts millions of people around the world.
Anything else you’d like to add?
We are excited by the opportunity to provide hope to millions of people around the world, currently suffering from respiratory failures.