Our great talent for invention will lead us out of darkness
THE sky remains dark, the outlook perilous. As the grim death toll from the coronavirus pandemic continues to mount, the unprecedented crisis deepens. Amid social lockdown and economic meltdown, nothing like this emergency has ever been seen in Britain, not even during the Second World War.
Yet there are shafts of light amid the gloom, like the remarkable heroism of NHS staff and other essential workers. Equally impressive is the astonishing stoicism of the vast majority of the public, who have selflessly accepted the experiment in mass isolation.
And nothing better exemplifies the country’s selfless spirit than the willingness of more than 750,000 people to sign up as NHS volunteers.
There is another cause for national pride, which can be found in the renewed display of Britain’s traditional gift for innovation. We were the pioneers of the Industrial Revolution, the developer of the railways and steamships.
The creator of the telephone was a Scotsman, Alexander Graham Bell, as was the genius behind the first working television, John Logie Baird.
NOW, in the face of disaster, our national characteristic of inventiveness is being harnessed in the quest to save lives. That instinct can be seen in the inspirational saga that has led to the creation of a new breathing aid that should help many patients stay out of intensive care.
Called a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device, it enables its user to breathe without needing a ventilator, which requires heavy sedation and inserting a tube into the windpipe. By avoiding such invasive techniques while delivering a flow of air-oxygen mix into the mouth and nose, the CPAP device can improve patient safety, relieve the burden on intensive care units and ensure ventilators are reserved for the most serious cases. In fact, it is estimated that CPAP can reduce the need for ventilation by about 50 per cent.
What is so extraordinary is both the speed and depth of the collaboration behind its success.
The device was built by engineers from University College London, clinicians from University College Hospital, and experts from the Mercedes High Performance Formula One team, which has won eight constructors’ and 10 drivers’ Grand Prix championships.
Operating at high intensity, they came up with a practical design in just four days. It is an incredible achievement, a tribute to their ingenuity.
As Professor Tim Baker, a mechanical engineer at UCL, explains: “Given the urgent need, we are thankful we were able to reduce a process that could take years down to days.”
Sport is sometimes dismissed as an extravagant indulgence, but in this case, Formula 1 has magnificently served the interests of the NHS and wider humanity. It is now hoped that production of CPAP devices can reach 1,000 a day. But the health service will still need a huge number of ventilators as cases escalate.
In meeting that demand, British innovation has again been at the forefront. In just 10 days, engineers at Sir James Dyson’s company, best known for its vacuum cleaners, have come up with a new ventilator design. This prototype, known as the CoVent, is still undergoing tests, but if it gains regulatory approval, 10,000 could be swiftly manufactured.
Meanwhile, a consortium called Ventilator-Challenge UK, made up of 14 aerospace, car and industrial firms including Airbus, Rolls Royce and BAE Systems, has secured a
‘They came up with a design in just four days, an incredible achievement’
Government order for the rapid production of 10,000 of two existing models.When these are combined with current capacity and the addition of overseas imports, the UK should have at least 41,000 ventilators, sufficient to meet expected demand.
That undermines some of the noisy complaints this week from armchair critics and hindsight merchants that the ill-prepared Government has miserably failed to equip the NHS.
The British impulse for innovation can be seen in a host of ways, such as the development of testing kits that could transform the fight against the virus by allowing those who have recovered to go back to work.
ALREADY, the Government has ordered 3.5 million. Similarly, Britain is the biggest contributor to the global fund to find a vaccine, with a recent donation of £544million.
National emergencies are often the catalysts for invention. The Second World War not only led to the jet engine and nuclear power but also created the public mood of solidarity behind the NHS and welfare state. Out of the darkness, good can still come.