The device was developed by a research team from Hanoi University of Science and Technology in collaboration with a manufacturing company to treat patients with stage 3 Covid-19, and has been approved by the Ministry of Health.
Since May, the research team has partnered with a company specializing in medical equipment to create the BKVM-HF1 high-flow oxygen machine used in the treatment of patients suffering from Covid-19, reducing the risk of intubation.
Associate Professor Dr. Vu Duy Hai, Director of the Biomedical Electronics Center at Hanoi University of Science and Technology and a key member of the research team, stated that due to the increasing demand for the device domestically, the team was urgently directed to develop the product. Having previously researched ventilator technology, the team faced few technical challenges, and within just two weeks, the first prototype was completed. The device was sent to evaluation units for standard and technical parameter assessments. “We have received a circulation permit from the Ministry of Health to mass-produce the device,” Dr. Hai said.
30 BKVM-HF1 high-flow oxygen machines delivered to the epidemic center in Ho Chi Minh City and Bac Giang. (Photo: HUST).
The machine functions to assist patients with respiration by continuously supplying high-flow breathing air of up to 60 liters per minute, with adjustable oxygen concentration (from air oxygen to pure oxygen). The breathing air is stabilized at 37 degrees Celsius with saturated humidity, aiding in the treatment of patients with respiratory failure.
“This method prevents the patient’s alveoli from sticking together or collapsing, helping to maintain the gas volume, allowing the patient to gradually recover,” Dr. Hai explained.
The machine’s input source consists of oxygen gas and compressed air, which are mixed through a blending system to adjust the ratio and create an adjustable oxygen content ranging from 21% to 100%, depending on the doctor’s prescription.
This gas continues to be fed into a heating and humidifying system that warms the gas to reach 37 degrees Celsius, the same temperature as inside the body, ensuring that the air delivered to the lungs does not cause heat loss. The humidity function reaches 85-100% (as specified in medical guidelines) to prevent other lung injuries during the oxygen delivery process.
The machine provides high medical oxygen flow of up to 60 liters/minute, supporting the treatment of stage 3 Covid-19 patients. (Photo: HUST).
According to Associate Professor Hai, by mid-June, the Ministry of Health decided to circulate the device and transferred the first 30 units to Ho Chi Minh City and Bac Giang, to be used in the treatment protocol for Covid-19 patients in stage 3 (out of 5 stages). Patients in this stage are diagnosed positive for nCoV, suffering from respiratory failure and lung damage, but are still able to breathe.
Operating the high-flow oxygen machine always requires a source of medical air and oxygen. The research team found that hospitals at the provincial level are equipped with medical gas systems to supply compressed air and oxygen. However, makeshift hospitals are not yet equipped with this medical gas source to support the operation of high-flow oxygen machines. Therefore, the research team also developed accompanying equipment, including air compressors and oxygen generators, to be sent to makeshift areas, providing medical gas for 10 high-flow oxygen machines simultaneously.
Associate Professor Nguyen Van Chi, Head of the A9 Emergency Center at Bach Mai Hospital, stated: “According to clinical research reports, if this high-flow oxygen machine is used, 60-70% of Covid-19 patients recover, do not worsen, and do not require ventilators.”
Currently, the technology has been transferred to a manufacturing enterprise for expansion and is allowed for commercial use, with a price of 50 million VND per machine (half the price of imported products). Dr. Hai noted that the team continues to collaborate with the enterprise to improve the product. The team has received numerous orders from organizations and individuals wishing to donate to epidemic-affected areas, including a request from the Ministry of Health to produce an additional 100 high-flow oxygen machines for treating Covid-19 patients.
