Naval facility in AP designs portable MOM to connect 1 oxygen cylinder to six patients

Visakhapatnam Mar 31 (PTI) To cater to requirement of oxygen supply for multiple patients during the COVID-19 pandemic using limited resources, personnel from the Naval Dockyard here have designed a novel contraption that can help connect one cylinder to six people at a time.

The "Portable Multi-feed Oxygen Manifold(MOM)' using a six-way radial header fitted to a single cylinder would enable critical care management to a larger number of COVID patients with the existing limited resources.

The entire set up was made operational by the manufacture of a Fine Adjustment Reducer and specific adapters of requisite dimensions for connecting the Oxygen cylinder and the portable MOM, according to a release here.

The preliminary trials of the entire assembly was conducted at the Naval Dockyard here and this was followed by rapid trials at the Naval Hospital INHS Kalyani wherein the portable MOM was successfully set up within 30 minutes, it said.

A typical Oxygen providing facility in hospitals comprises of an oxygen cylinder feeding only one patient through a vent mask arrangement.

During the ongoing pandemic, ventilator support will be required for about 5-8 per cent of patients with symptoms whereas a large number would require oxygen support, it said.

As the existing facilities are not adequate to cater for such large requirements, a need was felt to design a suitable portable arrangement that could provide oxygen through masks to a number of needy patients using a single cylinder during emergencies.

The preliminary trials of the entire assembly was conducted at MI Room at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.

This was followed by rapid trials at the Naval Hospital INHS Kalyani wherein the portable MOM was successfully set up within 30 minutes.

After successful trials, the Naval Dockyard has commenced manufacture of 10 portable MOM with two 6-way radial headers catering for 120 patients at makeshift locations to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the release added.