Multiple reports cited pulse oximeters as a device of interest as stores are selling out of the products amid claims of capabilities in detecting COVID-19 at home. Pulse oximeters can measure the saturation of oxygen in red blood cells by shining a light through the skin when clipped to the user’s body. They can be […]
Respiratory
3M wins TRO in respirator price-gouging case
3M (NYSE:MMM) won a temporary restraining order Friday against a New Jersey company it accused of trying to sell the company’s N95 respirators at inflated prices. The Maplewood, Minn.-based corporation sued Performance Supply in federal court earlier this month, accusing the New Jersey–based company of misrepresenting a business relationship as it tried to charge New York […]
FDA grants ALung EUA for respiratory assist system
ALung Technologies announced today that it received FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) for its Hemolung respiratory assist system (RAS) for treating COVID-19. Pittsburgh-based ALung said in a news release that it already treated numerous COVID-19 patients in the U.S. under existing FDA emergency use provisions, as well as in Europe, where it’s had CE Mark […]
NASA creates a ventilator prototype in 37 days
NASA engineers developed a high-pressure ventilator prototype tailored for COVID-19 patients that passed a critical test at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. Engineers developed the “ventilator intervention technology accessible locally” device, called “VITAL,” at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in an effort to free up traditional ventilators […]
FDA grants EUA to Lungpacer for diaphragm pacing system
Lungpacer Medical announced last week that it received FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) for use of its diaphragm pacing therapy system (DPTS) in some COVID-19 cases. The Vancouver, Canada–based company designed its DPTS to assist in weaning patients who are determined by a healthcare provider to be at high risk of weaning failure. In a […]
Why are medical ventilators so hard to replace?
Hospitals everywhere are in need of medical ventilators to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. government has invoked a decades-old statute to increase production of the machines, while a number of companies, both in the medtech space and outside of it, have stepped forward in an effort to get as many ventilators into hospitals as […]
How are alternative ventilators helping during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Amid the shortages of vital equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, ventilators stand out — their presence a matter of life or death for people needing respiratory assistance. Common invasive ventilators are in short supply. While numerous companies have stepped forward to scale up production of the expensive products (usually between $25,000 and $50,000), the need […]
AirX launches face mask made from coffee
AirX this week launched a face mask made from Vietnamese coffee. The mask is antibacterial, reusable and biodegradable and tackles the problem of disposable face masks and medical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic. “AirX is not just a recommendation to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but preserve the planet as well,” Thanh Le, […]
FDA issues EUA for Sterilucent N95 hydrogen peroxide sterilization
The FDA has granted Sterilucent emergency use authorization (EUA) for its hydrogen peroxide sterilizer for use with N95 and N95-equivalent respirators — the latest in a string of mask sterilizers receiving EUAs amid the coronavirus pandemic. Minneapolis-based Sterilucent’s HC 80TT vaporized hydrogen peroxide sterilizer may now be used to decontaminate the single-use compatible respirators that […]
East/West, Sisu partner to produce low-cost ventilator
East/West Manufacturing Enterprises and Sisu entered into a partnership to build Air Boost’s Austin P51 emergency hospital ventilator. The Austin P51 ventilator is a low-cost device that includes many features of current intensive care unit-grade ventilators, according to a news release. However, they can be quickly produced and delivered, as evidenced by Air Boost conceiving […]
Hillrom secures EUA for use of MetaNeb system with coronavirus patients
Hillrom (NYSE:HRC) announced today that it received FDA emergency use authorization (EUA) for its MetaNeb system to help COVID-19 patients. Chicago-based Hillrom designed MetaNeb to combine lung expansion, secretion clearance and aerosol delivery into a single therapy session available for use with any ventilator. MetaNeb includes a closed-circuit design with a bacterial-viral filter to protect patients […]