Page 12 - EngineerIt January 2021

SOUTH AFRICAN INNOVATION

Delivering life sustaining oxygen efficiently

A group of South African doctors, engineers and designers based in East London has invented
and developed a medical device that revolutionises oxygen delivery to COVID-19 patients.
A specialist medical device manufacturer of long standing will now produce and distribute the

clinically- and cost-effective, easy-to-use device, which has the potential to boost the scale and
efficacy of COVID-19 oxygen care at clinics and hospitals.

his South African invention, emergency COVID-19 use, which will be manufactured and distributed by Gabler Medical.
named OxERA (Oxygen-Efficient Dr Craig Parker, a medical officer working in anaesthetics with a background in
TRespiratory Aid), could be a mechanical engineering, says the group was determined to find a solution when they
game changer where there are a large realised that South Africa would face similar patient loads seen in Europe during the
number of COVID-19 patients yet a lack COVID-19 pandemic, but would have limited high care capacity and fewer resources
of skilled staff, ICU and high care to respond.
facilities; and insufficient bulk oxygen They set up a social enterprise (a business with specific social objectives) in March
supplies. It effectively bridges the gap 2020, trading as Umoya (‘air’ in isiXhosa). Drawing inspiration from sources as diverse as
between current standard oxygen scuba diving equipment and 3D printing, they built a working prototype within two weeks,
therapy via face masks and ICU-based and a 3D-printed final design within seven weeks.
non-invasive or mechanical ventilation,
while requiring no more oxygen flow Production and distribution
than a standard face mask. A consortium was established between Umoya and Gabler Medical, a specialist medical
The OxERA device is an all-in-one device manufacturing firm founded in Cape Town over 50 years ago by Alfred Josef
device using an oxygen accumulator Gabler, a German instrument maker. The device will be manufactured, distributed and
bag, anaesthetic mask and an adjustable supported by Gabler Medical, which holds ISO13485 certification and specialises in the
mechanical PEEP valve that is simple, manufacture of oxygen therapy equipment.
cost effective and oxygen efficient. Tests Reiner Gabler, MD of Gabler Medical, says industrialisation and licencing have been
have shown that not only can a lengthy process, but now that the company has obtained SAHPRA approval for the
consistently high levels of oxygen be device they can focus on scaling up production. “We can produce over 15,000 units a
delivered with the critical benefit of week, so capacity is not an issue. This will create jobs during the pandemic and, if the
PEEP, but less oxygen is usually needed product achieves general acceptance, also after the pandemic. The device holds export
as supply can be titrated to patient potential too.”
demand rather than having to be left fully
open. The high oxygen level ensures that
maximum oxygen content is available to
the diseased lungs and the PEEP
prevents lungs collapsing during
expiration, reducing the amount of work it
takes to breathe. In our oxygen resource
constrained environment, this is a game
changer and allows even the most basic
facilities that are dependent on bottled
oxygen or small oxygen concentrators to
provide a higher level of clinical care
than they are currently able to. It also
means that the device is suitable for use
in transferring patients in ambulances
where other options are limited.
The device was developed by a
group of East London-based volunteers
that includes doctors, engineers and
entrepreneurs. The South African Health
Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) South African innovation: The OxERA device is simple, efficient, portable and
has now approved the OxERA device for cost-effective.

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