Israeli medical start-up, Hospitech has stepped forward to help in the Corona Crisis

Israeli medical start-up, Hospitech Respiration of Kfar Saba has stepped forward to help in the Corona Crisis. It is offering hospitals in Israel its unique AnapnoGuard device AG100s, developed and manufactured by the company for the prevention of ventilator-associated complications, especially Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP).

The AG100s is not a ventilator, but rather a device designed to operate beside the ventilator to ensure an effective sealing of the trachea and so prevent leakage from the oral cavity to the lungs. In addition, it performs rinsing and effective removal of the secretions from the trachea. By doing so, the device reduces pulmonary infections that develop in a significant number of ventilated patients, including severe Coronavirus ventilated patients, and thus increases the chances of recovery.

The AG100s device is intended for use in intubate patients, connected to a ventilator by means of an Endotracheal tube (ETT).

The device is already marketed in China and has been successfully used in several leading hospitals for several years. In recent months it has been used to treat Corona virus patients at the Tongji University Hospital in China’s Hubei Province where the global outbreak of the virus began.

Yoav Venkert, CEO of Hospitech Respiration: "The AG100s device was developed by our company to treat ventilated patients in general and is clearly suitable for Corona ventilated patients.

The device is designed to reduce complications that develop during ventilation, especially those arising from the aspiration of contaminated subglottic secretions to the lungs. This is one, if not the main cause of the development of pneumonia, one of the principle  factors in mortality among Coronavirus patients.

In addition, the device is intended to reduce mechanical damage and injuries to the trachea wall that result from excessive pressure applied to the trachea wall by the ETT cuff".

These two automatic functions run in synchrony, significantly reducing the likelihood of infection of the lungs and the development of pneumonia, and if developed allow symptoms to be alleviated with shortened recovery time.

Studies conducted over years in European and Israeli hospitals have found that the use of the AG100s device results in a significant and clear decline in the development of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP) in ventilated patients.

"Now, with the Coronavirus outbreak, and the fact that above 5% of the patients require mechanical ventilation, we have decided to make the AG100s devices freely available to Israeli hospitals.

If required, the company will provide devices and support to intensive care units (ICUs) that treat ventilated Coronavirus patients. It is important to note that the device is regulatory approved in the US, Europe, China and Israel. It is routinely used in the heart surgery intensive care unit of Rambam MC and is being evaluated by the general intensive care unit at the Sheba MC Center", added Yoav Venkert.                

The AG100s device is also used in the Mayo Clinic MC, Florida. Over fifty patients have been successfully treated in the center, from many being lung transplanted. The system will also be used to treat Coronavirus patients, as needed.