A NEW type of ventilator, developed with the help of Southampton’s NHS staff, could create new treatment options for with respiratory failure - including those with coronavirus.

Created by a team of anaesthetists, nurses and engineers, the new exovent system is similar in design but much smaller in scale and easier to use than the devices used to help treat polio patients during the 1950s.

The new negative pressure ventilator could provide additional treatment options for patients with respiratory failure, including those with COVID-19, which can be easily adapted to developing countries.

It has been developed with help from staff at University Hospital Southampton.

The exovent task force formed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis, inspired by calls from the UK Government for rapid innovation to combat the challenge presented by this highly contagious and aggressive disease.

The team is composed of anaesthetists, critical care consultants, nurses, medical clinicians, engineers, academics, scientists and manufacturers.

Thanks to the investment of over £1m of volunteer time, rapid engineering development and prototyping by Marshall ADG and partnership with WMG High Value Manufacturing Catapult, a system is now available for approval.

Dr Malcolm Coulthard, from the exovent team, said: “From research and findings to date, we firmly believe that the use of negative pressure devices can transform the patient journey for COVID-19 patients and those with pneumonia and other diseases that affect breathing.

“The technology is safe, simple to use and systems could be built and deployed rapidly, in both the UK and overseas.

“Our recent paper published in the medical journal Anaesthesia demonstrates that the exovent-19 is twice as efficient as other negative pressure systems.”

exovent-19 works by being fitted over the patient’s torso and can operate in two modes, continuous negative extrathoracic pressure (CNEP), the negative pressure equivalent of CPAP, increases the volume of air in the lungs while the patient continues to breath for themselves by applying negative pressure to the outside of the patient’s chest and abdomen.

Negative pressure ventilation (NPV) cycles that negative pressure and reduces the effort required for a patient to breath. The level of support can be increased or reduced progressively to help in the patient’s recovery. It also increases the heart’s efficiency compared to conventional ventilators which squeeze the chest and put pressure on the heart.

The simple design concept for the exovent system makes it widely accessible with highly cost effective, reliable units able to be readily manufactured and approved around the world.