NASA’s space-age oxygen tech to aid life-saving surgeries in developing nations | Medical Oxygen | gasworld

Oct 25, 2024

A Scottish charity dedicated to providing life-saving surgeries to children in developing countries has partnered with NASA to bring advanced oxygen generation technology to low-resource hospitals around the globe.

The project aims to reduce child mortality caused by preventable respiratory diseases, a leading killer in low-income nations where dependable oxygen supply is often unavailable.

The technology, dubbed the Medical Ceramic Oxygen Generator (M-COG), has been developed by NASA over several years with space missions in mind, but it could soon be saving lives closer to home.

Using a sophisticated oxygen ion transport process, M-COG produces medical-grade oxygen with over 99.99% purity, ideal for respiratory treatments in healthcare settings.

Children’s charity Kids Operating Room (KidsOR) aims to trial M-COG in surgical facilities across Zambia and at their Centre for Global Operations in Dundee, Scotland, with the eventual goal of expanding the technology across their network of 100 surgical centres in 40 countries.

“A lack of reliable oxygen in low-income countries leaves countless vulnerable patients at risk,” said Garreth Wood, Co-Founder and Chairman of KidsOR. “Our partnership with NASA has life-changing potential for patients in these regions, where challenges like conflict and climate issues can impede access to basic healthcare.”

Wood added that KidsOR’s experience in establishing surgical facilities and training local healthcare teams makes the charity an ideal partner for deploying this cutting-edge technology.

Respiratory infections remain the leading infectious cause of death worldwide, claiming the lives of 2.2 million people in 2021, including over half a million children under the age of five.

The lack of stable oxygen supply in hospitals in low-income nations compounds this crisis, leaving medical teams unable to deliver adequate respiratory care or perform safe surgeries. By addressing this issue directly, the new technology could offer a critical lifeline.

An earlier prototype of NASA’s M-COG technology ©NASA

“M-COG technology is uniquely suited for resource-poor settings,” explained NASA engineer John Graf. “This is a device without moving parts, meaning it requires minimal maintenance, which is essential for low-resource environments. It’s remarkable to think that technology designed for Mars could save lives here on Earth, in the hospitals and clinics where children need it most.”

NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico recently completed preliminary testing of M-COG, demonstrating the technology’s capability to produce pressurised, high-purity oxygen.

According to NASA, its modular design also allows flexibility in scale, from small clinics to large hospitals, potentially making oxygen accessible in settings ranging from village clinics to regional healthcare hubs.

How does it work?

The M-COG uses heated ceramic wafers to extract oxygen from surrounding air, which is then directed into storage. Engineers at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico, recently verified the oxygen’s purity at over 99.95%, making it suitable for medical and industrial applications, including semiconductor manufacturing where high-purity oxygen aids in creating silicon layers for chips. An earlier prototype is about the size of a chest freezer, producing 34 litres of oxygen per minute.

Working alongside Public Invention and Global Hospital, KidsOR and NASA will research and document M-COG’s ability to meet the stringent oxygen needs of healthcare facilities in low-income countries.

“Our engineers in Scotland and across sub-Saharan Africa are thrilled to be working with NASA,” said Wood. “Bringing space-age technology to the most remote, vulnerable children and helping save lives is a dream come true for all of us at Kids Operating Room.”

Plug-and-play solutions

M-COG technology has also been harnessed by some companies as a way of coping with the increased demand for oxygen during events such as a future Covid-like outbreak.

Earlier this year, technology manufacturer Novair and American Oxygen joined forces to develop and market a plug-and-play ionic oxygen generator based on M-COG.

Having labelled it ‘the greatest technological innovation in air gases since the invention of cryogenic distillation,’ Novair claims that the technology could eliminate dependence on liquid or bottled gas deliveries and disrupt the air gases market.

According to Bernard Zenou, CEO of Novair Group, the outbreak of the pandemic accelerated the design of a first demonstrator to produce medical oxygen on Earth, with prototypes currently capable of delivering around 34 litres per minute of ultra-high purity oxygen.

“It will enable us to reach a new milestone, giving as many people as possible access to a revolutionary innovation that enables the on-site production of ultra-pure oxygen using a reliable, easy-to-use device,” he said.

The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for medical oxygen, yet supplies remain limited in low- and middle-income countries, which often lack knowledge of their requirements.

Despite efforts over the past four years, the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s October 2023 study indicates services in these regions are still below-par.