Two months after obtaining certification in the USA, the Czech CoroVent lung ventilator also received an exemption for emergency use from the domestic Ministry of Health.
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The manufacturer of the device, MICo Medical in Třebíč and the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Czech Technical University, has been striving for this registration for several weeks. As a result, in urgent cases, CoroVents can be put into operation to allow patients with the most severe course of covid-19 to survive.
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Thanks to the block exemption, hospitals will not have to apply to the Ministry of Health for an individual exemption for CoroVenty, so everyone can include them in their reserves. Due to the fact how many hospitals have already responded to the call of the manufacturer and CTU, interest will probably increase and it is questionable whether the devices, which were composed of the Czech public and corporate donors, will suffice.
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“We are getting into an extreme situation and it is really only a matter of time, in addition to the very short time that hospitals will run out of standard lung ventilators. In recent days, we have been contacted by some hospitals that have already run out of fans, or they have units left, and they urgently needed to replenish their stocks. Unfortunately, we have not been able to supply them to this day, because we would be breaking the law and the hospitals themselves would not be able to use them under the threat of criminal prosecution. Fortunately, the block exemption changes this situation, and if a situation arises where hospital-certified ventilators run out, they can use CoroVenty with impunity, ”explains Jiří Denner from MICo Medical about the use of ventilators by their manufacturer.
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CoroVent fans were developed in the spring at an accelerated pace by a team from the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at the Czech Technical University led by Professor Karel Roubík. Dozens of donors in a charitable collection organized by the COVID19CZ volunteer platform contributed to the development and launch of serial production at the MICoMedical company in Třebíč. In March, the Czechs raised an incredible 14 million crowns at CoroVenty in 24 hours.
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Just an exception
The MICo company produced 182 fans with donor money, but they were still located in its Třebíč warehouse. Although CoroVent received certification for emergency use from the US FDA in August, Czech hospitals have not yet been able to use these devices. Now, thanks to a new block exemption from the Ministry of Health, the situation is rotating 180 degrees.
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In the coming days, MICo Medical, in cooperation with the Czech Technical University, will handle the demands of Czech hospitals and will distribute CoroVenty wherever there is a risk of a lack of certified ventilators. Immediately after that, the medical staff who will operate the devices will be trained.
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“Unfortunately, it can be seen from public discussions that people still do not understand the meaning of this ventilator. I consider it necessary to mention this again. The CoroVent pulmonary ventilator is directly intended for patients with covid-19 disease and its functions are limited compared to standard ventilators, ”explains Jiří Denner.
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According to him, its indisputable advantage is fast training, easy operation, low price, durable design and fast production. While standard fans take several days to train, CoroVent takes significantly less. “If we don’t have something now, it’s time and healthcare professionals have to dedicate it to the patients they care for,” the manufacturer concludes.
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