Medellin Consortium Getting Close to Production of Coronavirus Ventilators; Liquor Manufacturer Now Supplying Disinfectant Alcohol

Three prototypes of mechanical ventilators being developed for Coronavirus victims by metro-Medellin-based Sampedro Medical Industries, the University of Antioquia and the EIA University are now set to move to human trials following successful tests at CES University School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Husbandry here.

The development teams are now preparing for tests on human beings and, subsequently, the start of production at two Medellin-metro manufacturing giants: multinational home-appliance manufacturing giant Haceb and motorcycle assembling giant Auteco.

“Advances like the one taking place today are possible thanks to [Medellin-born multinational bottled drinks maker] Postobón’s donation in the project,” according to an April 10 announcement from Medellin-based tech incubator Ruta N, organizer of the “#InnspiraMED” ventilator consortium.

“The three mechanical ventilators for intensive care units (ICUs) [for #InnspiraMED] successfully carried out preclinical tests in the operating rooms of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics of CES University,” according to Ruta N.

“The three devices, which are a success thanks to the donation of Postobón and hundreds of people who have joined this initiative through the #InnovaPorLaVida and # UnidosSomosPaís platforms, have been developed in compliance with Invima [Colombia’s national medical-standards regulator] quality and safety standards. The articulation work between all the actors has been led by Ruta N and ANDI [Colombia’s national industrial-commercial trade association].

“One of the prerequisites for achieving success in preclinical trials was the development of in-vitro [laboratory-scale] tests by the group of anesthesia and critical care specialists at the San Vicente Fundación University Hospital, the Las Américas Clinic and the Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital. These tests consisted of subjecting the ventilators to different clinical conditions with highly specialized simulators that evaluate their operation and, thus, be able to determine how safe they are for patients.

“With the results of the preclinical tests, preparations will be made to proceed with tests on humans, which will allow the devices to be definitively validated and go to the production phase that will be headed by Haceb and Auteco,” Ruta N added.

The three prototypes were designed for rapid scale-up for production, according to the consortium.

FLA Delivering Antiseptic Alcohol to Stores

Meanwhile, the Antioquia departmental government announced April 8 that starting today (April 11) its government-owned Fabrica de Licores de Antioquia (FLA) will start delivering bottles of antiseptic alcohol (70% pure alcohol) to local supermarkets.

“The product’s profit margins will be minimal for each of the actors in the distribution chain,” according to the FLA.

The FLA earlier produced 250,000 bottles of the alcohol to disaster-response agency DAPARD and subsequently to hospitals, clinics and public-safety agencies, according to the company.

“The main objective is to ensure that the greatest number of people access a product that becomes vital when taking aseptic measures and that contributes, to a large extent, to [Coronavirus] contingency control,” according to the FLA.