A new invention pioneered in Tayside is ‘transforming’ resuscitation for covid-19 patients, clinical teams and first responders.

The lightweight, easy-to-use hood, designed by NHS Tayside’s Medical Director Professor Peter Stonebridge, can be fitted onto a person who has collapsed as soon as help arrives, meaning responders can avoid any potential delays caused by putting on PPE before performing CPR in situations where time is of the essence.

If someone has covid-19 droplets of the virus can be released when healthcare teams or first responders carry out CPR, but the new SARUS-CPR hood helps reduce the risk of transmission and the time taken to start airway ventilation, making resuscitation attempts much safer for patients and those treating them.

Professor Stonebridge passed on a prototype of his design to Scottish Health Innovations (SHIL) and performance manufacturer Keela Outdoors, who then brought the hood to life using transparent fabric that creates a barrier between the patient and the individual performing resuscitation.

“Frontline healthcare workers and care givers have been absolutely vital to our response to the pandemic and out of all of the challenges of managing the spikes of covid-19, there has been a lot of innovation in healthcare,” says Professor Stonebridge.

“Thanks to the input of other experts in manufacturing and design, the kernel of an idea has been developed into the SARUS-CPR hood and I am very grateful to all the collaborators on this project.”

It is hoped the hood will be used by trained personnel in a variety of settings, including hospitals, GP surgeries and by ambulance staff.

Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon from NHS Tayside Mr Rod Mountain, who led the development of the hood with SHIL and Keela Outdoors, says he is “immensely proud” to have been part of the development.

“This has been a genuine collaborative effort between NHS Tayside and Keela, drawing upon fantastic local engineering and garment manufacturing expertise.

“Covid-19 drove the innovation, prompting us to look at different approaches to PPE, but we now believe its applications go well beyond the current pandemic.”

Outdoor gear manufacturer Keela has previously supported the NHS by manufacturing PPE at its Glenrothes site. At the start of the pandemic, the team expanded the company’s facilities by 10,000 square feet and created 50 new jobs so they could use Scottish-produced fabric from Cupar Angus and dispatch PPE to the NHS on a weekly basis.

Robert Rea, Head of Innovation at SHIL, says, by working together, a life-saving idea has been brought to the front line quickly: 

“The SARUS-CPR hood is a real testament to home grown collaborative expertise, taking clinician-led insight from the NHS and turning it into a tangible device that’s now ready to be launched onto the market.

“The teams at NHS Tayside and Keela have played a vital role in realising that ambition. Their clinical and manufacturing expertise combined with SHIL’s intellectual property and commercialisation expertise has accelerated launch onto the market.”

Read more: Insight: Harnessing the pandemic innovation surge; Space mission expertise used to develop ventilator; Adapted ventilators aid coronavirus response; Pioneering exercise for ventilator patients

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