Ceylon Oxygen unveils South Asia’s first oxygen cylinder
Monday, 15 December 2014 00:00
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By Senuri De Silva
Introducing innovation in mobile oxygen therapy to Sri Lanka, last Friday, Ceylon Oxygen Ltd. launched CONOXIA, a high quality medial oxygen packed in a light weight cylinder and an innovative integrated valve.
RSE-Healthcare Product Commercial Excellence Manager Mihiri Cabandugama, Ceylon Oxygen Ltd CEO Niran Pieris, Ceylon Oxygen Ltd Designate CEO Radesh Daluwatte, Ceylon Oxygen Ltd Head of Healthcare Rangika Wijesinghe
The cylinder comes with a Lind Integrated Valve (LIV) which is an integrated regulator which controls the flow of oxygen and enables a care giver to dispense CONOXIA to the patient safely and with ease. This active gauge shows the content of gas in the cylinder at all times and removes any uncertainty about how much oxygen remains in the cylinder.
Unlike the traditional design that requires the caregiver to use additional equipment such as a wrench and a separate regulator to dispense oxygen and regulate air flow, the LIV enables the caregiver to dispense the right amount of oxygen to the patient with confidence. The valves most notable feature is uncomplicated and easy to use nature with 12 different adjustable flow positions.
The cylinder itself has an approximately 3.5 liter capacity and weighs less than 6 kilograms (compared to the 14kg weight of the steel cylinders) thanks to the 7020 alloy aluminum body which has endured drop tests from as high as three meters. The durability of the cylinder combined with its 200 Pa internal pressure enables more oxygen to be dispensed from a single filling more safely.
Features such as its ergonomic design with two handles for easy lifting and carrying and for mounting onto a hospital bed hanger as well as an anti-rollover mechanism which keeps it stable in an event it is accidentally tipped over make the cylinder highly mobile and an ideal solution for continuous oxygen therapy in the hospital and the home. The cylinder is also MRI conditional and can be placed as close as 30 cm to the opening of a 3.0 Tesla magnet without posing known hazards to the equipment and patient.
The cylinder is available on a rental basis with Ceylon Oxygen undertaking its training, maintenance and refilling to ensure proper use. The cylinder is not yet available for patients cared for at home, but the company has plans to make it available to such patients in the near future.
Ceylon Oxygen CEO Nilan Pieris said: “We are excited to present our new mobile oxygen solution to the Sri Lanka health care market – our high grade medical oxygen packaged in a compact and ergonomically designed mobile cylinder equipped with the LIV and delivered by our uniformed staff in special trucks. It’s the first of its kind in the country and underscored our commitment to patient care. We believe that it will change the way mobile oxygen therapy is perceived in the country. It will significantly raise patient safety and bring convenience and cost effectiveness to care givers and patients. We are confident that it will become the medical gas solution of choice for healthcare professionals in hospital settings and those in emergency care such as ambulances as well as homecare patients.”
The cylinder is manufactured in France while the valve is manufactured in Holland, and is commonly used in hospitals in western countries such as US and UK. A pilot test has been successfully conducted at Asiri Hospitals which has led to them to sign a contract with Ceylon Oxygen to be supplied by these high tech oxygen cylinders in the future.
Its introduction to Sri Lanka also marked its introduction to the South Asian region and Ceylon Oxygen officials informed the media that they subsequently plan to introduce it to Malaysia, Thailand and India.
Pic by Shehan Gunasekara