SageTech Medical (“SageTech”), the medical device company focused on the capture and recycling of environmentally polluting anaesthetic gasses from the human and veterinary healthcare sectors, is delighted that positive results from a study by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (“the Trust”), concerning its gas capturing system, has been published by the Association of Anaesthetists. Anaesthetic gases globally are responsible for an estimated 3.1M tonnes of CO2e emissions every year. The full study has been published online and is available via this link.
The study concluded that SageTech’s SID-Dock capture system has high baseline efficiency of 94.8%, when used in the clinical setting without the variability of a patient being present. The study also concluded that the Trust can now assess this technology within a full clinical patient setting.
SageTech’s unique solution safely and efficiently captures waste volatile anaesthetic onto a carbon filter contained inside a reusable capture canister (SID-Can). Two SID-Cans are housed inside a SID-Dock capture machine which connects seamlessly to existing hospital equipment.
Full SID-Cans are collected from hospitals and emptied at regional recovery hubs before being returned for reuse. Recovered liquid waste is then transported in bulk to a purification and manufacturing facility in Devon, where it is recycled for future reuse by hospitals.
SageTech is a portfolio company of EMV Capital, the VC investor specialising in early-stage high-growth deep tech companies. EMV Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of NetScientific plc (AIM:NSCI), a life sciences and technology commercialisation and investment group.
Dr Iain Menneer, CEO of SageTech Medical, commented:
“Inhalational anaesthetic agents are potent greenhouse gasses. The NHS’ long term plan sets a target of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and while some progress has been made in that regard, new opportunities such as our inhalation agent waste capture technology are important for further reductions.
“We are therefore delighted with the independent study by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust which confirmed the high baseline efficiency of our solution when used in the clinical setting without the variability of a patient being present. We look forward to a follow up study, assessing our technology within a full clinical patient setting.
“Looking at the issue that we address more widely, we believe that DEFRA in the UK should step in and regulate pollution by hospitals, which would continue the long tradition of the UK leading by example on medical and sustainability issues.”
Dr Ilian Iliev, CEO of NetScientific, added:
“We are very pleased with the SageTech team’s progress in this important area. Collecting and recycling waste volatile anaesthetic agents from hospitals and veterinary clinics reduces the significant burden associated with their virgin manufacture, and the environmental impact of their release.
“SageTech’s circular economy solution helps to protect the health of people and our planet, while saving costs. We are therefore delighted with Guy’s and St Thomas’ very positive findings in the conclusion of their independent study of SageTech’s pioneering solution.”
Image credit: Oxyman / Guy’s Hospital
