Need

Need

Every year there are around two million neonatal deaths globally, primarily in emerging markets. According to UNICEF, prematurity, neonatal infections and birth asphyxia are the leading causes of neonatal mortality. Clinical studies have indicated that non-invasive breathing support, such as CPAP, would be a critical intervention for ~80% of these patients.

As designed today, most neonatal systems are designed for stationary use in the NICU, and require enabling infrastructure such as compressed oxygen and air lines, and uninterrupted electricity. In India, however, where a significant proportion of the 25 million annual births occur in lower-level hospitals (i.e., primary or secondary-level), neonatal CPAP therapy is often not available, necessitating transport, without adequate breathing support, to higher centers with NICUs and functioning neonatal CPAP systems.

There is a critical need for a non-invasive breathing support system that can be used at all levels of healthcare (from labor rooms in PHCs to NICUs in tertiary care hospitals), and during transport, with minimal infrastructure and skill requirement, to effectively manage respiratory compromise, and reduce neonatal mortality.

Solution

Solution

Saans is a novel breathing support solution that universalizes access to respiratory therapy for neonates and pediatric patients in all hospital and transport settings.

The device was conceptualized and developed in partnership with the Consortium for Affordable Medical Technologies (CAMTech) & the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and has been deployed in top hospitals and national centers of excellence across the country.

Over 1,000 units of Saans have been deployed, with over 20,000 neonates treated thus far in India. Our flagship project is a deployment of 300+ units across all Government hospitals in the state of Assam. This project is being executed in collaboration with CCAMP (Bangalore, India), and has been funded by USAID and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Technology

Technology

Saans is an infrastructure-independent, low-skill, non-invasive breathing support device designed to expand access to respiratory therapy across care settings.

The key technology features are:

• Multiple therapy modes (CPAP, HFNC & nCPAP) in a single device
• Compatible with all oxygen sources - central line, cylinders, or concentrators
• In-built air compressor and oxygen blending
• Continuous monitoring of key parameters delivered to patient, and safety alarms
• Intelligent parameter control, with auto-calibration to ensure optimum treatment
• Battery back-up of 6 hours, lightweight and portable- ideal for use in intrahospital and interhospital transport
• Compatible with standard patient interfaces