New compact and lightweight portable oxygen delivery system will
improve safety and can be deployed immediately for use by
frontline medics.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), in
collaboration with Defence Medical Services (DMS), has unveiled a
cutting-edge portable oxygen delivery system designed to improve
casualty survival rates for UK soldiers and civilians.
Weighing just 5kg, this ground-breaking system offers sustainable
oxygen delivery on the battlefield, overcoming limitations of
traditional pressurised oxygen cylinders.
Current cylinders pose logistical challenges due to their weight,
risk of explosion and requirement to be refilled using specialist
equipment after use. The Dstl system
offers improved safety, flexibility and reusability.
The innovative concentrator system works by drawing air from the
environment surrounding the patient, pushing it into a series of
chambers that removes the nitrogen present in atmospheric air,
allowing breathable oxygen-rich gas to be delivered directly to
the patient.
Additionally, its rebreather element conserves exhaled breath,
scrubs carbon dioxide out of it and enables it to be breathed
back in. This combination ensures that any oxygen consumed by the
patient is replaced, maintaining a consistently high
concentration of oxygen delivered to the patient.
The system also provides rebreathing capabilities and patient
ventilation for casualties unable to breathe unaided, all within
the same weight class as a standard oxygen cylinder.
Dstl Military
Advisor Major Andrew Maggs said:
The ability to deliver oxygen at the point of injury represents a
game-changing advance in battlefield medicine. By reducing
logistical burden and improving safety, the system will provide
critical care in situations where every second counts.
The first deployment of the system is yet to be determined, but
potentially means 15 prototype systems will be deployed out to
operations. The system, which was developed using a combination
of off-the-shelf components, is currently undergoing design work
to create a mass-producible version tailored for rigorous
military use.
This collaboration highlights the importance of UK science and
innovation in addressing real-world challenges. Dstl and
DMS are working to
ensure this technology is refined and ready to meet the demands
of military and civilian operations and crises.
Impact of this new system
Oxygen therapy is critical for trauma patients suffering from
blood loss, head injuries and lung trauma – injuries frequently
seen on the battlefield. By getting oxygen delivery directly to
the point of injury, the system can dramatically improve the
likelihood of survival and recovery.
Dstl's Chief
Executive Dr Paul Hollinshead said:
In operational terms, this system will reduce the logistical
strain on supply chains while improving battlefield care. The
ability to also reuse the system with external power or
replaceable batteries means it offers unparalleled flexibility.
In its current format, the cumulative cost of the separate
components is approximately £15,000 per unit, but efforts are
underway to design an even more cost-effective system with
greater scalability.
