'OxyJet' Use May Help Save Lives

Oxygen demand is increasing in all hospitals due to the coronavirus situation. At the same time, the crisis of ICU beds is increasing. An intensive care unit (ICU) is required for the Covid-19 patients who suffer from breathing shortness. But many lives are being lost due to the lack of adequate number of ICUs compared to patients. And in such cases, 'OxyJet' will play a helpful role next to the patients.

With this device, patients suffering from severe shortness of breath can also be given high level of oxygen assistance in a normal hospital bed. The production cost of the device is not high. The Bangladesh Medical Research Council has already approved the use of the device. Directorate General of Drug Administration's approval is required for the use of the Covid-19 treatment device. That is why the High Court has suggested to bring the issue of the device to the notice of the Prime Minister.

Up to 15 liters of oxygen per minute can be given to the patient in the ordinary bed of the hospitals of the country. If more oxygen is needed, a high-flow nasal cannula is needed or taken to the ICU; but because of the crisis in both the cannula and the ICU, it is not possible to give enough oxygen to many patients. Relatives complained of a high-flow nasal cannula crisis after seven patients died at a hospital in Bogura recently. OxyJet will solve this crisis. Through this, up to 60 liters of high flow oxygen can be given in the ordinary bed of the hospital. This device can run without electricity.

In the meantime, this device has been piloted in Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Eight doctors from the hospital were involved in the clinical trial of the device. One of them is Dr. Khairul Islam said, "When we went to treat the Covid-19 patients, we saw that the main challenge was to increase the oxygen level of the patient." Out of 60 patients in a ward, only 15 are deficient in oxygen. We may have one or two high-flow cannulas in our hands. After that there is no chance to increase oxygen. The patient needs ICU only if he needs more oxygen. In this case the use of OxyJet is quite effective.

After the Covid-19 transmission started in the country, the teachers and students of BUET started working with OxyJat in May-June last year. Tawfiq Hasan, an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the university, started the work with four of his students. The four students are Mimnur Rashid, Farhan Muhib, Kaiser Ahmed and Kawsar Ahmed. Later, they were assisted at different stages by Associate Professor Muhammad Tariq Arafat, Assistant Professor Zahid Ferdous and Saidur Rahman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Responding to how they plan to work with the OxyJet device began, researcher Mimnur Rashid said, "Since the coronavirus patient was identified in the country, some teachers and students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering have started discussing what they can do in this situation." First, we made a low-technology ventilator while participating in the domestic competition. From that thought, we began to think about how to build a low-cost technology suitable for the use of Corona patients in the medical field. Later we talked to the doctors of the top hospitals in the country and started working on how to ensure high-speed oxygen facility at low cost at the ward level. From there the work of the OxyJet machine started. By July 2020, we were able to build the first version of OxyJet. '

The people concerned said that the ordinary bed of the hospital has 15 liters of oxygen flow-meter. This is how oxygen is given through the mask. If there is OxyJet, two flow-meters can be used in one place. One is 15, the other is 50 liters. Oxyjet takes more air from the atmosphere by creating depression. The second connection contains up to 50 liters of oxygen, so that a total of 80 liters of oxygen can be given if required. The mask that is being used in OxyJet is a non-vented SIPAP mask. It is held very tightly in the mouth, so that air cannot escape. Finally, by adding a pip valve, the oxygen pressure for the patient can be controlled.

Physicians say that OxyJet is quite effective in providing high levels of oxygen to critically ill patients in the ICU and high flow nasal cannula crisis.

BUET teacher Toufiq Hasan, who led the invention, said adding OxyJet to the 15-liter oxygen flow-meter could add up to 60 liters of oxygenated air by adding more air from the atmosphere. Once it is used in hospitals, the patient's pressure for ICU services would be reduced.