A new device called The Third Pole will soon be on the market to help newborns with pulmonary hypertension breathe better. Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects arteries in the lungs and in the heart and babies with the disease are sometimes called “Blue babies.” To learn more about this rare condition, click here.
The Third Pole device is shaped like a small milk jug and has monumental potential. It makes nitric oxide (NO) from the air and improves the oxygenation process for infant patients. This process is not new but is more affordable and helps avoid the traditional bulky regulators or tanks that have often been used for treatment.
The innovators of The Third Pole are son and father, David and Warren Zapol. They are the founders of the start up Third Pole Inc. Warren Zapol was a Harvard professor and anesthesiologist and one of the first Health Care Providers who commonly treated hypertension-suffering “blue babies” with NO using tanks and regulators in the early 1990s.
Warren’s son, David, also has a strong science background and holds degrees in biology and immunology from MIT and other prestigious colleges. This strong duo created Third Pole Inc. in 2014. After making several prototypes to make delivering NO easier and more affordable, their startup company now employs eight people in the San Francisco area.
The process of using this new device starts with a visit to the doctor who will determine the appropriate dosage of oxygen for the patient. A nasal tube is then connected to the Third Pole and it is turned on.
How does it work?
The Third Pole uses air and pulsed electrical charges to produce NO. This helps dilate the blood vessels for the infant patient’s lungs and sends more oxygen throughout the body.
Third Pole received over 3 million dollars in grants and currently has over 9 million dollars in venture funding. The father son team is negotiating with hospitals right now and have made a smaller device that has a clip that can be put on a belt and used at home.
This device will be shipped in 2019. This is groundbreaking and will make NO treatment more affordable.
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