Moroccan scientists have designed an artificial respirator (Oxylife) made from 100% Moroccan components, as well as a temperature measuring device for patients suffering from coronavirus (Covid-19). These technological innovations, made of materials fully available on the Moroccan market, can be used in both urban and rural areas.
The patent for the respirator has already been filed with the Moroccan Office of Industrial and Commercial Property (OMPIC).
Oxylife is an intelligent artificial respirator which operates autonomously and can be controlled remotely. Firstly, it allows patients, suffering from respiratory problems and unable to travel to hospital, to benefit from artificial respiration at home. The equipment also includes a whole set of sensors to detect leaks or abnormalities, and is perfectly adapted to the needs of patients suffering from respiratory insufficiency.
Oxylife allows several ventilation modes (controlled, pressure-assisted and controlled assisted ventilation). It also complies with safety and performance standards and requirements. It is made up of numerous units. Namely: a respiratory gas generation unit; a sensory unit; an intelligent unit, distributed on the basis of an expert system; a regulator and, finally, a database with parameters that can be predefined remotely.
Commercial production of Oxylife respirators has been completed by an industrial consortium led by Aviarail, and these respirators are now already available to the Moroccan health system. In order to satisfy domestic demand, there are currently stock limitations, but they will be available for general export from August.
Saïd Benahajjou, the general manager of Aviarail says that “The technical characteristics and performance of Oxylife are similar to other competitor products on the market, but with the main difference that Oxylife is made in Morocco and we are able to manufacture with available components in Morocco in a very short time. The manufacturing costs are very competitive which makes Oxylife, made in Morocco, much more attractive.”
“This challenge could only be met thanks to a strong industry, particularly the aeronautics industry, which was able to industrialise the respirator in record time.”
“Through the manufacture of this 100% Moroccan respirator, Morocco has created much more than a respirator, it has launched a medical ecosystem that will allow Morocco to develop a medical equipment industry. Through its aeronautics, automotive and railway sectors, Morocco already has a rich industrial fabric with high added value. These sectors will be the vector of acceleration for the medical ecosystem and giving Morocco an additional technological autonomy,” he went on to say.
Technological advances in design and manufacture are already perceptible through the different versions of the respirator which have evolved from the original prototype. The consortium has developed a version based on a turbine to complete the range of respirators “made in Morocco”.
“All the respirators followed a stringent process for their validation. In addition to the urgent constraints on time necessary to save lives, we also complied with the strict compliance constraints of medical qualification through clinical and laboratory tests for “CE Medicale” conformity,” Benahajjou went on to say.
To facilitate rapid deployment and accelerate access to medical technologies, the consortium is making available to Moroccans all the plans and supply-chain for the production of respirators so that production can be quickly scaled up in case of pandemics in Morocco and countries that require assistance.
For further information or to register interest potential buyers can write by email to contact@aviarail.ma. Foreign manufacturers can also license the technology from Aviarail, but manufacture of the respirators in Morocco is likely to be more commercially attractive because of the benefit of very competitive manufacturing costs in Morocco compared with the rest of the world.
