GlobalO2

 The lack of reliable oxygen sources in LMICs can be attributed to, on the one hand, poor supply chain and high costs that make provision of compressed air cylinders impracticable and, on the other, technical issues that defeat traditional oxygen delivery equipment. The oxygen concentrators that are the main source of oxygen in LMICs have a high failure rate because they: 

• Are designed for residential use in high-income countries 
• Require continuous and stable power
• Are susceptible to high humidity and heat
• Lack service networks for preventive and urgent maintenance

An innovative oxygen concentrator with extremely reduced power consumption, resilient to power cuts, and humidity-resistant sieve beds, integrated into a comprehensive fee-for-service model integrating equipment, training and maintenance.

ACHIEVEMENTS

On the tech side, our latest achievements are the following:

• We built a proof-of-concept of a robust power supply, integrating batteries that provide 2 hours of autonomy.

• The power supply further demonstrates extremely reduced power consumption, complying with the Unicef requirement.

• A new material was developed using hydrophobic coating, which demonstrated humidity resistance.

• The integration of internal sensors allows continuous oxygen purity display as well as remote monitoring of the device.

On the fee-for-service model research side, these are the latest results:

• More than 100 pieces of medical equipment, including oxygen concentrators and pulse oximeters, were installed in 20 primary healthcare facilities in Bungoma County, Kenya.

• Clinical application training was provided to 66 healthcare workers, technical training was provided to 16 biomedical engineers.

• Using this infrastructure, over 30’000 patients were screened over 6 months, out of which more than 300 were treated. Around 300’000 liters of oxygen were provided to these patients.

• A 3-tiered maintenance procedure was implemented, leveraging the biomedical engineers already employed in the 20 facilities, strengthened by the training provided.

• Dramatic reduction of referrals to higher level hospitals: less than 25% of cases were referred, and less than 5% of these due to oxygen.
  

NEXT STEPS

The next phase of research and development will focus on the remote monitoring of the device and on mainstreaming the manufacturing process of the humidity-resistant material. This will then enable the transfer of this technology to an industrial partner.