Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com) is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by mobilizing its global manufacturing capabilities for medical gases and essential gas-handling equipment. In partnership with Hyundai Motor India (HMI), Air Liquide Medical Systems Pvt. Ltd. (ALMS), a manufacturer of ICU ventilators, is helping HMI to augment its production capabilities to supply of Ventilators in Tamil Nadu, India, as well as other states. With this partnership, HMI and ALMS aim to achieve a target of 1,000 ventilators in the first phase of production, and to scale up subsequently.
Ventilators are medical devices used by healthcare professionals that take over the work of breathing from a patient who is unable to breathe on their own by delivering air with high concentration of oxygen to their lungs. For patients severely affected by COVID-19, ventilators are critical to ensure continuous oxygen is supplied to overcome respiratory insufficiency.
Commenting on the Partnership, Mr. Anil Kumar, MD, Air Liquide Medical Systems, India, said, “As a company that engages in supporting the healthcare professionals and systems worldwide, we have initiated a prompt response towards the fight against COVID-19 in support of the Government of India. We are confident that this collaboration with Hyundai Motor India will bring about a positive shift in this battle. We are one of the very few Global companies with a dedicated R&D to manufacture Ventilators in India. Air Liquide Medical Systems is employing all the resources available to manufacture innovative, easy-to use and high-performing ventilators and will hold the reins to deliver quality service across the country during this time of need, and to spearhead the Make in India initiative.”
Air Liquide has previously announced an expansion of its U.S.-based capacity to deliver medical gases, as well as work with Johnson Matthey to donate cryogenic storage capacity for medical gases, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
CryopAL is expanding is abilities to provide essential supplies for the healthcare community (Source: Air Liquide)
Furthermore, CryopAL, a subsidiary of Air Liquide (Paris, France; www.airliquide.com), handles the manufacturing of the Freelox line of liquid oxygen vessels for medical use. These vessels are primarily used in home healthcare or long-term care facility settings to supply oxygen to patients suffering from respiratory insufficiency. In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the company has tripled its production capacity and is preparing to further increase it to meet the needs of the growing number of patients who receive home healthcare services, and to equip facilities that do not have an existing piped oxygen network.
In the context of the evolving Covid-19 pandemic in Europe, CryopAL has mobilized its resources to increase production capacity for its Freelox vessels, which store and release medical liquid oxygen. These vessels, which can hold 32 or 44 liters of liquid oxygen, enable patients to self-monitor their own treatment for about a week. Fabricated at its plant in Bussy-Saint-Georges, near Paris (77), the usual production capacity is around 100 vessels a week. Currently, capacity has been increased to 300 vessels a week. In addition, CryopAL stands ready to significantly increase its production further, if necessary, by concentrating its competencies on this activity.
Emilie Mouren-Renouard, Member of the Air Liquide Executive Committee in charge of Innovation, Digital & IT, Intellectual Property, and Global Markets & Technologies WBU, commented: “As we face the exceptional challenge of fighting Covid-19, the teams at CryopAL are proud to leverage their expertise in the design and manufacturing of equipment to support a growing number of patients who need oxygen therapy at home. This contribution, illustrating our teams’ solidarity, comes in addition to other initiatives undertaken by the Group to fight against Covid-19.”