Although the main thrust of our business is aimed at the veterinary sector some of the products are identical to those used in human healthcare. As soon as the COVID-19 crisis emerged we placed an embargo on veterinary sales of products that we thought may be useful to the NHS. To date our entire stock of oxygen concentrators has been supplied into NHS acute treatment units along with infusion pumps and syringe drivers.
We also initiated a rapid prototype project to design ventilators in response to the Government’s call to manufacturers. Based upon conversations with the team at Salford Hospital we designed and constructed prototypes of two versions of simple ‘bag squeezer’ systems. These units automatically squeeze a bag resuscitator replacing the need for a person to do this. We also developed a more sophisticated ‘bag in a bottle’ system. These were all designed to be simple, inexpensive and able to be manufactured rapidly. The feedback from our NHS contacts suggests that they are coping with the demands being placed upon them without needing this type of equipment. Let’s hope this remains the situation but we are ready to produce units if the call comes.
