
Ann Arbor-based Xoran Technologies has announced a new agreement with MakeMedical, a company formed by University of Michigan inventors, to distribute its VentMI pressure regulator. The device is designed to allow the use of a single ventilator by multiple individuals.
“We were focused on developing a system that could at least double ventilator capacity,” says Dr. Kyle Van Koevering of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Michigan Medicine and an associate faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at U-M. “We were looking for innovative ways to potentially help hospitals preparing for a ventilator shortage during the pandemic and beyond. The VentMI pressure regulator allows us to do just that, without compromising the health of our patients.”
The VentMI ventilator splitter offers individualized pressure control that is uniquely adjustable to each patient. Combining pressure regulators and one-way valves, the system minimizes cross contamination and has been tested in simulated lung environments. It recently received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is available for purchase and use in hospitals, surgery centers, and field hospitals.
“VentMI takes minutes to set up and is easy to use, meaning hospitals and care facilities can prepare for viral outbreaks and surges with minimal cost outlay,” says David Sarment, president of Xoran. “Xoran has a long history of collaboration with University of Michigan faculty and surgeons, so our partnership with MakeMedical just makes sense. We will be able to leverage our existing footprint in the intensive care unit, where our mobile xCAT IQ CT provides real-time imaging for critical care patients.”
Xoran was founded in 2001 and offers a mobile, point-of-care, low radiation dose cone beam CT.
MakeMedical specializes in the manufacture of high-fidelity medical simulators and the use of additive manufacturing technology in developing patient solutions. It was founded in 2018 by U-M surgeons and others.