Pumani bCPAP Device

Conditions associated with premature birth, often related to breathing problems, are the leading cause of neonatal mortality. In the developed world, these respiratory conditions caused by prematurity can be treated using bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (bCPAP). However, at USD $6,000, these systems are too expensive for many developing-world settings.

In partnership with Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and Rice 360°, Hadleigh Health Technologies has developed and manufactured a low-cost, high-performance bubble CPAP system, called the Pumani bCPAP, to treat infants with respiratory distress syndrome in the developing world. The system costs a fraction of the cost of bubble CPAPs available in the United States and provides the same therapeutic pressure as bubble CPAP systems used in hospitals in the United States.

Each Pumani bCPAP package includes one Pumani bCPAP device, a starter kit of accessories, a spare parts kit, online training videos and materials, and a user manual and repair manual.

With support from a Saving Lives at Birth seed grant in 2011, a clinical trial of the Pumani bCPAP device was conducted at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. The device was shown to significantly improve neonatal survival related to respiratory distress. ‘Pumani’ was named by the clinical trial nurses in Malawi because it translates to ‘breathe restfully’ in the Chichewa language of Malawi.

With support from a Saving Lives at Birth transition grant, Hadleigh Health Technologies, Rice 360°, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, and the Malawi Ministry of Health have now scaled up implementation of the Pumani bCPAP in all 28 central and district hospitals in Malawi.

Publicly available: yes
Countries where available: Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Haiti, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique
Price range (USD): over 200 USD