A medical innovation – developed in the UK – is promising to help improve neonatal care and save the lives of more babies born prematurely or in distress.
Europlaz, which has more than 40 years’ experience in manufacturing products for the medical device, diagnostics and life sciences sector, has come up with an integrated ‘sidestream’ CO2 sampling port that is joined to the side of its existing neonatal flow sensor.
This patented addition enables clinicians to follow the correct protocols of using both lung protective volume control and CO2 monitoring, giving the baby the best chance of survival and limiting the possibility of longer-term conditions, such as cerebral palsy or lung disease.
It achieves this by combining the sensor for measuring flow volume with the optimally placed sampling port for safely extracting gas for tidal flow CO2 monitoring, reducing the ‘dead space’ found in existing products and ensuring more accurate readings.
Chelmsford-based Europlaz has been developing this innovation for years and believes now is the time for ventilator manufacturers to consider switching to this neonatal flow sensor to save lives, reduce costs to the NHS and avoid expensive litigation.
“Momentum is definitely growing, with two global manufacturers adopting our new flow sensors and trials about to begin with a famous London hospital. This will provide the clinical evidence that many of the ventilator manufacturers have been asking for,” explained Frede Jensen, Product Development Manager at Europlaz.
(l-r) Frede Jensen (Product Development Manager at Europlaz) with Rory O’Keeffe (Commercial Director at Europlaz
“We are dealing with the tiniest of lives, so it is imperative that we give clinical teams the best possible technology to help them do their jobs. This is exactly what this innovation does, with the side sampling port delivering the stable and accurate readings of CO2 being exhaled that they need to better inform the care of the child, and the level of ventilation support required.”
He continued: “Europlaz has been manufacturing neonatal flow sensors for more than ten years and we have sold over 1million to date – all without the sampling port. This must change, and we believe that when one hospital or manufacturer commits to it, the rest will follow.
“It just makes too much sense not to. Why not embrace a product that gives you greater clarity, greater control and a greater chance of saving a baby’s life?
“There is also a financial element to it as well, with 60% of the NHS’ Resolution’s £9bn liability budget spent in 2018/19 dealing with cases involving maternity care.”
Europlaz is investing heavily in ramping up production for its new neonatal flow sensor, with a brand-new robotic welder arriving shortly.
This is the central element to a modern production cell that uses vision controlled micro-robotic wire welding to deliver highly consistent sensor quality, performance and reliability.
Frede, who has extensive design, development and manufacturing experience in neonatal products, continued: “This latest piece of equipment is very impressive, with the robot capable of welding a 13-micron precious metal wire (which is 1/3 of the thickness of a human hair) to a surface smaller than a pin head with 5-micron precision.
“Importantly, it gives us the repeatable quality that we know is required and the confidence that our sensors will deliver accurate readings time and time again. We can also increase capacity, with the genuine expectation that we can supply 500,000 sensors every year.”
The innovation being added to the neonatal sensor is just one of the advancements Europlaz is currently working on in this space. It is also a few weeks away from starting exciting trials of its own range of neonatal ventilation monitors at four major UK hospitals.
www.europlaz.co.uk/our-work/neonatal-respiratory-flow-sensor/
