Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer has partnered with Raanana-based startup Inspira Technologies to test Inspira's Augmented Respiration Technology as a treatment for patients in critical condition with COVID-19, Inspira announced Wednesday.
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Inspira Technologies describes its ART solution as the first technology in the world to directly oxygenate blood. Inspira explains that ART fills a gap in respiratory treatment where supplemental respiratory therapies such as high-pressure masks are insufficient and the risks from mechanical ventilation – such as medically-induced comas, intubation, and lung atrophy – are unjustified.
Director of the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit at Sheba Dr. Alexander Kogan said that the medical center was "very excited to test this breakthrough technology for respiratory distress."
According to Kogan, "With the ART system, hopefully, patients will remain fully conscious during their treatment. We will be able to avoid the use of mechanical ventilation until it's absolutely necessary and spare many patients from the risks of a medically-induced coma. Moreover, we anticipate further development of our novel renal replacement therapy technology for these critically ill patients with the help of Inspira."
Inspira co-founder and CEO Dagi Ben-Noon said, "Collaborating with the Sheba Medical Center is a great opportunity to test the ART system in a real-world environment and demonstrate its ease of use for medical staff and effectiveness for treating patients."
Dr. Sylvie Luria, manager of Sheba's technology transfer company, was responsible for facilitating the trial.
"When we came across Inspira's unique technology, we immediately saw its potential to transform the way we treat patients with respiratory issues," Luria said.
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