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.

Haemair respiratory aid and prosthetic lung

The Haemair respiratory aid and prosthetic lung.




The unique feature of the Haemair approach is that it is aimed at conscious mobile patients. To this end, we match oxygen and carbon dioxide mass transfer rates to the respiratory demand of the patient. Furthermore, we employ a flow of natural air to provide oxygen and remove carbon dioxide.



There are three main variants of our device. The simplest to employ consists of a mass exchanger, as illustrated in figure 2. It takes deoxygenated blood, extracted from a main vein, removes carbon dioxide, replaces it with oxygen, and returns the oxygenated blood to the body. The second variant places the mass exchanger within the body to eliminate the hazard of taking a significant blood flow outside the body. The final version is a prosthetic lung, as illustrated in figure 3.



In all three variants, mass transfer is controlled so that performance mimics that of natural lungs. In this way, the natural respiratory control mechanism controls heart rate etc, and control is fully integrated with the natural respiratory system.



The external device will be deployed first. It is easily reversible and major parts are available for maintenance. The easy reversibility is important in treating emergency and acute cases for which the device might be needed for no more than hours or weeks. Once we have established that long maintenance-free operation is possible, we can move on to the intermediate device. The clinical procedure to “plumb” the device into the blood circulation system is more complex and maintenance is more difficult. However, the engineering is simpler. The only significant external item required is a small air pump, or fan. This device is more suited to patients who will need it for months – for example, as a bridge to transplant. It should enable patients to leave hospital and continue treatment at home. The final variant, a prosthetic lung, serves as an alternative to a lung transplant. This variant is illustrated in figure 3. It cannot be deployed until we have extensive favourable experience with the reversible devices. However, it offers hope to those currently excluded from transplant waiting lists – for example, most terminal emphysema sufferers.



For those interested in the technology, our published PCT Patent Application No. W02005/118025 is available. Details of subsequent applications can be provided against suitable signed confidentiality agreements. Please contact Haemair explaining your interest. We are pleased to share information with those who share our goal of improving the lives of sufferers from lung disease.



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