Wideblue scales up personal capnometer in fight against COVID-19

Scotland-based design and development company Wideblue is accelerating production of a ground-breaking new medical device which could help the UK NHS quickly discover which COVID-19 patients are deteriorating and need a ventilator. 

The N-Tidal capnometer, developed for Wideblue client Cambridge Respiratory Innovations (CRI), is a simple-to-use, fully automated, small battery powered personal device used to measure the amount of CO2 in exhaled breath during normal relaxed breathing. The changes in concentration as a patient breathes through the device are measured and can be used to assess the health of a patient’s lungs and general condition. Amid a shortage of ventilators, the device could enable clinicians to prioritise their use based on firm data. The device may also be useful to track progress of patients as they recover after ventilator use.  

It is hoped the CE-marked N-Tidal device will start trials in UK and US hospitals within two or three weeks, opening the door for a roll-out across the UK and potentially globally. 

Wideblue MD Russell Overend said: “Wideblue has made 200 devices already and has a purchase order for another 1,000 units which will be manufactured over the next few weeks. These devices were destined for clinical trials with COPD and Asthma patients, but these devices are now being reconfigured and reallocated to COVID-19 patients. We are very hopeful these N-Tidal devices can be deployed in hospitals within the next couple of weeks”. 

Currently, capnometers are a large bedside machine connected to a patient’s face mask or a sensor located in life support equipment. N-Tidal is transformational as it has miniaturised the capnometer and puts it directly in the patient’s hand.