Sheba Hospital Tests Israeli Startup’s Respiratory Tech On COVID-19 Patients

Israel’s Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer Hospital has teamed up with Ra’anana-based startup Inspira Technologies to test the company’s blood oxygenation technology on critically-ill COVID-19 patients.

Inspira’s Augmented Respiration Technology (ART) will be tested in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sheba’s Department of Cardiac Surgery.

ART, according to Inspira, is the world’s first technology to oxygenate blood directly as first-line support. This immediately elevates and stabilizes patient oxygen levels. The system is an alternative to highly invasive mechanical ventilation systems, preventing the need for medically induced comas and intubation. The technology also lowers the risks and costs of existing ventilation systems, by allowing patients to remain awake and mobile during treatment. The simple system design allows for broader medical use.

Inspira said in the announcement that ART “fills a gap in respiratory treatment where supplemental respiratory therapies such as high-pressure masks are insufficient and the risks from mechanical ventilation—such as medically-induced comas, intubation, and lung atrophy—are unjustified.”

“We are very excited to test this breakthrough technology for respiratory distress. With the ART system, hopefully, patients will remain fully conscious during their treatment. We will be able to avoid the use of mechanical ventilation until it’s absolutely necessary and spare many patients from the risks of a medically-induced coma. Moreover, we anticipate further development of our novel renal replacement therapy technology for these critically ill patients with the help of Inspira,” said Dr. Alexander Kogan, director of the Cardiac Surgery ICU at Sheba’s Heart Center.

Sheba is the largest medical center in the Middle East and has been leading Israel’s medical response to the global coronavirus pandemic from the start of the crisis in Israel.

The collaboration was facilitated by Sheba Medical Center’s Technology Transfer Company Manager, Dr. Sylvie Luria. “Sheba is constantly searching for innovations that can improve the level of care we provide our patients,” Dr. Luria adds. “When we came across Inspira’s unique technology, we immediately saw its potential to transform the way we treat patients with respiratory issues.”

“Collaborating with the Sheba Medical Center is a great opportunity to test the ART system in a real-world environment and demonstrate its ease of use for medical staff and effectiveness for treating patients,” said Dagi Ben-Noon, co-founder and CEO of Inspira.