Hipsters can breathe a sigh of relief
Men with beards can breathe a sigh of relief if they ever require urgent medical ventilation, thanks to Advance Queensland funding to help market a very clever Brisbane innovation.
Scott Airway Management Pty Ltd recently received $100,000 in Advance Queensland Ignite Ideas funding to scale up its SAM Safety Seal medical device.
The device was invented by Brisbane anaesthetist Dr Paul Scott.
He developed the device out of frustration in trying to fit Bag Mask Ventilation (BMV) over the faces of men with facial hair. A BMV is used to move oxygen into a patient’s lungs to keep them alive during a medical procedure.
The issue is that a beard can impede BMV sealing a patient’s nose and mouth, with medical staff often reduced to using wound dressing or cling wrap in an attempt to improve the seal. The SAM Safety Seal overcomes this.
With the Ignite Ideas funding, Scott Airway has employed three people to market the product and manage the procurement process in hospitals.
The product is already in use in Healthscope private hospitals with trials of the product currently being held in a number of public and private hospitals in Queensland.
The company is aiming to sell 40 million units over the next five years and plans to employ 15 people working across all aspects of the business, from marketing and sales to managing the manufacturing.