A Technion-backed startup has designed and produced in record time a device that enables coronavirus patients requiring oxygen support to avoid invasive ventilators, while significantly reducing the risk of infection for those treating them.

The NIV Greenhouse™, developed by Tamar Robotics, consists of a plastic hood covering the patient’s upper body. The air from the hood is filtered using a standard clean room air filter. The hood creates a barrier between the patient and the medical staff, and multiple hoods can be connected to a single filtration system.

One of the main benefits of using non-invasive ventilation (NIV) hoods is that coronavirus patients can be treated with non-invasive CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) or BiPap (Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure) ventilators. Until now, the standard treatment for severe cases of COVID-19 involved attaching the patient to a ventilator that requires invasive intubation, for which the patient must be heavily sedated. Non-invasive ventilation systems have not been used till now for these patients because they release contagious aerosols into the surrounding air and expose the medical staff to a high risk of infection. The NIV Greenhouse™ thwarts this risk.

“Our system, which is the first of its kind, enables non-invasive ventilation treatment to COVID-19 patients in a safe manner to both the patient and medical staff. Our hood’s unique design allows patients to see and speak to the medical team while simultaneously enhancing their breathing performance,” explained Dr. Hadas Ziso, co-founder and CTO of the newly formed subsidiary Tamar NIV Breathing Solutions.

Prior to the current pandemic, Tamar Robotics, led by Technion alumni, focused exclusively on developing robotics for neurosurgery. In early March, as the pandemic began ravaging the world, CEO Noam Hassidov attended a meeting urgently convened by the heads of Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa to discuss the challenges of coping with the crisis from a medical perspective. “The doctors defined their unmet needs and encouraged the start-up community to help solve these problems. One of the problems was that they wanted to use CPAC ventilation on patients but couldn’t because of the high risk of contagion from aerosols. I told them that we could fix that,” recalled Hassidov.

The entire staff of Tamar Robotics paused their regular work and for seven very intensive days worked 24/7 to find a solution. Within one week, three prototypes were ready for testing and a NIV (Non-Invasive Ventilation) hood was installed in a Haifa hospital the following day. “We chose this solution because it is extremely simple. We received rapid feedback from health care workers and our stakeholders were very supportive,” said Hassidov, adding that, “Our main investors―Technion, Professor Moshe Shoham, and Mivtach Shamir — told us to go ahead and follow our dream.”

Prof. Shoham, of Technion’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and a serial entrepreneur, is proud of the fact that Tamar Robotics is helping to fight the pandemic by developing a valuable product in such a short amount of time. “The system is already being used in several hospitals and we have started to receive inquiries from abroad as well,” he noted.

Doctors who have tested the NIV hood in the past week attest that it is effective, safe, and user-friendly. “The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus has necessitated that we dedicate entire wards to these patients in order to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease, and the swift deployment of Tamar’s NIV Greenhouse™ hood represents a promising tool in protecting our medical teams and our patients,” asserted Dr. Ori Segol, head of Carmel Medical Center’s coronavirus ward. Indeed, the new product is generating a great deal of interest in the medical community. Several hospitals in Israel have already installed NIV hoods in their coronavirus wards, and demand from abroad is growing as well.

For more than a century, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has pioneered in science and technology education and delivered world-changing impact. Proudly a global university, the Technion has long leveraged boundary-crossing collaborations to advance breakthrough research and technologies. Now with a presence in three countries, the Technion will prepare the next generation of global innovators. Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, innovating in fields from cancer research and sustainable energy to quantum computing and computer science to do good around the world.

The American Technion Society supports visionary education and world-changing impact through the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Based in New York City, we represent thousands of US donors, alumni and stakeholders who invest in the Technion’s growth and innovation to advance critical research and technologies that serve the State of Israel and the global good. Over more than 75 years, our nationwide supporter network has funded new Technion scholarships, research, labs, and facilities that have helped deliver world-changing contributions and extend Technion education to campuses in three countries.

For more than a century, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology has pioneered in science and technology education and delivered world-changing impact. Proudly a global university, the Technion has long leveraged boundary-crossing collaborations to advance breakthrough research and technologies. Now with a presence in three countries, the Technion will prepare the next generation of global innovators. Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world, innovating in fields from cancer research and sustainable energy to quantum computing and computer science to do good around the world.

The American Technion Society supports visionary education and world-changing impact through the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Based in New York City, we represent thousands of US donors, alumni and stakeholders who invest in the Technion’s growth and innovation to advance critical research and technologies that serve the State of Israel and the global good. Over more than 75 years, our nationwide supporter network has funded new Technion scholarships, research, labs, and facilities that have helped deliver world-changing contributions and extend Technion education to campuses in three countries.