The Human Need for the Haemair Device

The Human Need for the Haemair Device




Lung disease is a major cause of premature death. Millions of people die every year who, apart from lung disease, could lead healthy lives. People are dying both of acute conditions and of chronic conditions. Acute conditions arise typically from viral or bacterial infection and lead to rapid deterioration of lung function. Chronic conditions continue throughout the patient's life, often resulting in a slow, but inexorable, decline in lung function. Lung disease is an increasing problem, and urgent means are needed to improve recovery and provide longer lives of better quality. We discuss each class of disease separately:

Acute Respiratory Infection kills almost 4 million people every year (WHO figures). The number of people who die is only a fraction of the number who contract ARI. Of those who do not die, a significant number have permanently reduced lung function.



Chronic Lung Disease kills a similar number of people. There are a wide range of chronic conditions including Emphysema, Cystic Fibrosis and Asthma. For steadily deteriorating conditions, the only treatment is lung transplantation. However, only a very small proportion of chronic lung disease sufferers are offered transplantation.



For example, there are very few transplants for over-50's, but most emphysema sufferers are over 50. In the UK, about 3,000 people die from emphysema every year; almost none are offered transplant. Taking Europe and North America together, there are approximately ten times that number of emphysema deaths. Emphysema is only one of dozens of chronic lung conditions.



Of those who are put on transplant lists, the prospects are not good. Thus, in Europe and North America, there are about 10,000 people on lung-transplant waiting lists. Each year, about 5,000 join and 5,000 leave the lists. Of those leaving, about 2,500 die waiting, about 750 die during or soon after transplant, and about 1,750 live healthy lives with their new lungs.



Our device is designed to replace lung function entirely. It should give a higher recovery rate for Acute Respiratory Infection, and reduced lung damage for those who do recover. It should permit chronic sufferers to conduct active lives, outside Intensive Care units (for example, at home). It can act as a bridge to lung transplant, giving healthier transplant patients with better recovery prospects. In the long run, we hope to provide a full alternative to lung transplant. Such an alternative gives hope for hundreds of thousands currently denied transplant. Furthermore, it gives the possibility for "on demand transplantation", which may be the only hope for conditions ranging from chemical and biological weapons victims to lung cancer sufferers.



"Haemair Limited has a mission to reduce Acute deaths, improve the lives of Chronic sufferers and to provide an alternative to lung transplantation."

Haemair Ltd.