24/11/2020

The first four intubation units designed by Nelson Mandela University’s Advanced Engineering Design Group (AEDG) were recently delivered to the Anaesthesiology staff at Livingstone Hospital.  
 
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strain being placed on our local hospitals, lead PE Hospital Group Anaesthesiologist for COVID-19 response, Dr Lorenzo Boretti, earlier this year, requested the University’s AEDG students to design an intubation unit for the local PE Hospital Group.   
 
Director of eNtsa (the Innovation through Engineering Institute housed at Nelson Mandela University) Prof Danie Hattingh managed to secure funding from the MBDA (Mandela Bay Development Agency) to build the Intubation Units so that several could be supplied across the PE Hospital Group.  
 
In addition, Nelson Mandela University alumnus Cecil Frost, director of Shibah Engineering, organised the manufacturing of the intubation units.   
 
The intubation units encompass the intubation box, including the vacuum extraction units and custom-made connections and adaptors for quick installation, set-up and use in theatre scenarios.  They have been tested in in-theatre training sessions for their effectiveness.
 
After some delay with administrative issues, the first units have been delivered as an additional layer of protection for our healthcare professionals, says Clive Hands, the project manager from AEDG.
 
National funding is now being sought so these can be deployed to hospitals across the country to further assist in the fight against the pandemic, says Mr Hands.
 
For more information about the development of the intubation units including the trials and tribulations encountered along the way see the AEDG website: https://aedg.mandela.ac.za/Projects/Intubation-Unit-Accesories