By EMS1 Staff
Though yet to appear on the U.S. market, Smiths Medical unveiled the new version of the paraPAC at EMS World Expo.
The paraPAC plus 310 oxygen delivery platform is already being used in the field in the UK and parts of mainland Europe, and FDA approval is pending in the United States.
The unit retains the same features as the original paraPAC but with some key add-ons, providing the versatility to deliver oxygen therapy, CPAP, demand oxygen and mechanical ventilation.
At 2.3kg, the paraPAC plus 310 is significantly lighter, and measures 235 x 165 x 93 mm.
“We have a unit now that’s about 30 percent lighter than the paraPAC and it also has airworthiness certification,” said Todd Nugent, Business Manager of Pneupac Ventilation at Smiths Medical.
Among the main features of the unit is a built-in oxygen therapy facility, an integrated PEEP function, a luminescent manometer, a display of inspiratory and expiratory pressure, manual ventilation control for compliance with CPR ratios and CPAP.
“The major thing that we have added here is CPAP, and it has a setting of 0.5 liters per minute of oxygen all the way up to 35 liters per minute,” Nugent said.
“This means it offers, what I believe, is the largest range of CPAP within this market – it’s a pretty expansive range.”
Nugent said they received good feedback from attendees that visited the Smiths Medical booth at the show.
“We had a lot of positive reaction, particularly from the air medical transport community as it’s even lighter,” he said. “The paraPAC is light, but this is a significant improvement on that.
“A key thing we’ve ensured with this is durability, which is why the paraPAC has been so popular.
“You always hear about companies that have good products but have problems with durability in them after a few years, but we work to ensure we don’t encounter that.”
Smiths Medical is a global provider of medical devices for the hospital, emergency, home and specialist environment. For information on the paraPAC, visit their official website.