mOm Incubators featured on flagship BBC news programme
The mOm Essential Incubator project which was trialled in Glasgow was highlighted to a UK-wide audience recently.
Dr Neil Patel appeared on BBC Breakfast explaining the work carried out at the Royal Hospital for Children’s Neonatal Unit which informed the development of the incubators.
The Neonatal Unit was also a key site for a clinical trial of the mOm Incubator in 2022, led by Dr Helen McDevitt in conjunction with the Clinical Research Facility team in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Since 2017, the Glasgow team, supported by the West of Scotland Innovation Hub, have provided feedback on prototypes of the portable battery-powered incubators, which are designed for use in non-developed settings.
Most recently, the incubators have been used in Ukraine, where the ongoing conflict has created new challenges for healthcare provision.
Dr Patel and product designer James Roberts, CEO and Founder of mOm, appeared on the BBC’s flagship morning news show.
Neil told viewers: “Traditional incubators are big expensive pieces of kit, designed for use in developed settings.
“If a premature baby is not warm, it adds significantly to risks of not surviving and James and his colleagues at MoM have addressed a fundamental issue.
“This device is groundbreaking - the sickest babies need to be in neonatal units like the one we have here at the RHC but some babies are able to stay with their mother and equipment like the mOm unit means they don’t have to be in intensive care units which is much better for them, in the place where they are happiest. This device creates new pathways of care.
“We all recognise the pressure NHS is under one way of addressing this and our model is working with people like James and the people with the expertise and ideas to see how we can solve problems with the best technology.
“There is still lots of development we can do to really improve outcomes for babies and families.”
So far, 35 mOm Essential Incubators have been sent to Ukraine, with 16 more on the way, and another 100 requested by the Ministry of Health Ukraine. These are now being used to provide much-needed flexibility to the healthcare system there, supporting clinicians, and saving the lives of babies.
James added: “Ukrainian clinicians reached out as they were having problems with power supplies and having to move babies to bunkers.
“It is humbling to see our systems supporting clinicians and saving lives in these very difficult times. It goes some way to proving how the mOm Incubator can be used anywhere and everywhere, giving much-needed flexibility to the healthcare system.”