Anaesthesia device launches in veterinary market

A “game-changing anaesthesia device” called Safira is being launched in the veterinary market.

Medovate – which specialises in anaesthesia, airway management, critical care and surgery – is partnering with distributor Vygon Vet to bring the technology to the UK veterinary market.

Safira has been described by Cambridge-based Medovate as a “revolutionary new technology that transforms regional anaesthesia into a one-person procedure”. It also incorporates a safety measure that limits injection pressure, helping to reduce the risk of nerve injury.

Removes challenges

Federico Corletto, consultant anaesthetist at Dick White Referrals, said: “By turning regional anaesthesia into a one-person procedure, the technology also removes the challenges of communicating with an assistant regarding subjective injective pressure feel, thus removing the unpredictability of an untrained hand.”

Brett Hughes, homecare and veterinary business manager for Vygon UK, said Safira had been designed to provide benefits for regional anaesthesia.

He said: “The device infuses at 0.5ml/second, and to vets the technology offers a valuable tool that can control injection small intervals at a time.”

Nerve bundle

Mr Hughes added: “This allows the veterinary practitioner to titrate appropriately to see the anaesthesia spread around a nerve bundle.

“There are a significant number of regional anaesthesia blocks completed in veterinary practice per annum globally, so potentially this NHS-developed device could play a major role in the future of veterinary practice.”

After its development with NHS consultant anaesthetists, Safira has launched in human health care across the US, Australia and New Zealand. Medovate’s partnership with French-based Vygon will allow expansion of the technology to Europe and the veterinary market.