Massachusetts, USA, 14 May 2022 — Study results for Hemovent GmbH’s MOBYBOX® system for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by COVID-19 have been published for the first time in the ASAIO Journal - a leading international journal in the field of artificial organ medicine. MOBYBOX® is the world’s first extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system that uses the combination of a displacement pump with an artificial lung. The research confirms the safety and efficacy of the MOBYBOX® system in the treatment of ARDS, as well as preliminarily indication that the MOBYBOX® system shows improved biocompatibility.
The single-center, retrospective clinical study involved seven patients with a mean age of 51.3 years, including six males and one female living with severe ARDS triggered by COVID-19, requiring MOBYBOX®’s ECMO support. During the study, no adverse reactions were observed in the six patients who switched from a conventional ECMO system to MOBYBOX®. Data showed that the average duration of respiratory support provided by the MOBYBOX® system was 9 days for all patients, with the longest being 19 days. Of those involved, five patients were safely weaned from the system. The study data also showed that the MOBYBOX® system features excellent biocompatibility. According to blood test results, patients’ platelet counts and fibrinogen concentrations maintained relatively stable while the system operated.
Mr. Zhiguang Cheng, President of MicroPort® Surgical, said, “The MOBYBOX® system simplifies what was a complex and difficult system to operate through innovation, significantly improving the portability and operability of the ECMO system, while ensuring the same level of safety and effectiveness. We are thrilled to see the results of the MOBYBOX® clinical research published, and will continue to actively promote the commercialization and clinical registration of MOBYBOX® in China so that this revolutionary product can be made available to Chinese patients as soon as possible. We are also working on a number of pipeline products in the field of mechanically assisted circulation to provide more systematic and complete solutions in the field of acute and critical care.”
MOBYBOX® redefines the ECMO and establishes a new benchmark for the portability of ECMO devices. It weighs less than 2 kg, can be carried in a backpack and runs only on pneumatic power with no motor nor external power supply required. The system, which was already obtained CE marking, is designed to be used in a variety of patient settings, including inter- and intra-hospital patient transfer and field rescue, among other scenarios where a mobile solution is required. MOBYBOX® is easy to operate, allowing more critical patients to receive extracorporeal life support in the first instance, saving time to start with Extacorporeal Cardiopulmonal Reanimation (ECPR). It also satisfies the practical needs of the majority of primary hospitals. Compared to conventional ECMO systems driven by centrifugal pumps, the MOBYBOX® system uses a displacement pump consisting of polymeric membranes that reduce damage to the blood. The special design of MOBYBOX® also allows for efficient gas exchange and extreme ease of use.
According to guidelines issued by the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), ECMO machines can be used for patients with cardiac and respiratory arrest, acute severe heart failure and acute severe respiratory failure caused by various factors, providing them with continuous extracorporeal respiratory and circulatory support to reduce cardiopulmonary burden while gaining more time for professional medical treatment. Thanks to the advent of ECMO, there has been a remarkable increase in the survival rate of patients with acute and critical illnesses, including severe respiratory failure, hypercapnic respiratory failure, heart failure, circulatory failure, refractory cardiogenic shock, massive pulmonary embolism, and cardiac arrest. ECMO can also be used as a bridge to heart and lung transplant, and placement of ventricular assist devices.
About Hemovent
Hemovent GmbH, based in Aachen, Germany, a subsidiary and Innovation Lab of MicroPort Scientific Corporation (MicroPort®, stock code: 00853.HK), is a developer and manufacturer of highly innovative Extra Corporeal Life Support (ECLS) and Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) products. Its flagship product, the MOBYBOX® System, is the world’s first fully integrated and self-contained ECLS system for the treatment of cardiac or respiratory failure. Hemovent® is committed to delivering best-in-class medical devices to save patients’ lives in a severe state of cardiac or respiratory failure - a condition, which affects about 12 million people worldwide every year.