Portable ventilator developed by Pakistani scientists receives US patent

This undated picture shows the prototype of portable RAD ventilator developed by Pakistani researchers at Aga Khan University in Karachi. (Photo courtesy: Aga Khan University)

• The resuscitation device was granted a patent by the US Patent and Trademark Office 
• Inventors say emergency room doctors can remotely manage the ventilator’s settings through a mobile application 

ISLAMABAD: A portable ventilator developed by Pakistani researchers at Aga Khan University (AKU) in Karachi has received a US patent, the university confirmed on Wednesday.
The Resuscitation Automation Device (RAD) can provide emergency oxygen to patients such as those with severe forms of pneumonia or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which are among the main causes of death in Pakistan.
“The patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office recognizes over 20 innovative aspects of the University’s Resuscitation Automation Device, RAD, that can offer prompter, lifesaving treatment for patients suffering from critical respiratory problems,” Aga Khan University said in a statement.
Usually, such devices are bulky, and available only at medical facilities. The RAD, which AKU doctors and engineers started developing in 2016, is briefcase-sized and portable, inventors say. It can be operated through a mobile application, which means that emergency room doctors can remotely manage the device’s settings.
“The app also gives hospital staff access to real-time data about the patient’s health before his or her arrival at the emergency room enabling prompter care to be provided,” AKU said.
Clinical trials on the RAD are set to begin soon, AKU said, adding that early tests show the device can provide a regular supply of oxygen.
Dr. Huba Atiq, assistant director at AKU’s Center of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies, who was part of the team that proposed the idea, said the inventors wanted it to address the existing gaps in Pakistan’s critical care.
“In Pakistan, critically ill patients present late to health care facilities due to a lack of proper health care infrastructure. Even if they manage to reach the tertiary care facility after traveling a huge distance, the underdeveloped critical care process, lack of trained health care staff and resources, especially mechanical ventilators, results in an increased rate of critical care mortality,” Atiq said, as quoted in the AKU statement.
“The invention of a low-cost, operator-friendly, mechanical ventilator represents a solution to bridge this gap and provide timely appropriate critical care services.”