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Animal ventilators have ‘potential’ to be used on humans in intensive care
A company that makes animal ventilators for use on cats and dogs have spoken to medical professionals about the possibility of them being made available for use on humans in a clinical setting to cope with the shortage during the coronavirus outbreak.
Keith Simpson, the managing director of Devon-based, Vetronic Services Ltd, told the Scotsman the Merlin ventilators which sell for around £5,000 could theoretically be used in intensive care units (ICU).
The move comes after the Scottish NHS ordered three hundred ventilators to double capacity as hospitals prepare to deal with a surge in Covid-19 cases.
Mr Simpson said he had spoken to a clinical anaesthetist and now believes the machines used on cats and dogs could be adapted for human use.
He said: “We have two ventilators that may be useful by humans – one is the large animal Tafonius ventilator, used predominantly for horses – which is a joint venture by myself and a colleague in the United
States. The Merlin is another form of ventilator for dogs and cats – that one we solely manufacture here.
“The human field in terms of respiratory control is way above that in the animal field – they have a lot of modes and features on their machines that veterinary ventilators don’t have.
“However, the machines like the Merlin and others will provide a volume cycle quite adequately for human patients.”
Scottish Labour health spokesperson Monica Lennon said: “It is vital that Scotland’s hospitals are able to cope with the demand for intensive care beds and ventilator support. Offers of help coming from companies which make ventilators for animals, shows just how worrying this situation is.”