CPR Hood prototype on display at V&A

A CPR resuscitation hood device (the ‘Tayside Hood’ or T-Hood), designed to facilitate a ‘rapid first response’ to airway management during CPR and protect healthcare personnel from viruses such as COVID-19, is being developed in Scotland.

The CPR hood was invented by Peter Stonebridge, (Medical Director, NHS Tayside). The clinical requirements of the product have been designed and prototyped by Rodney Mountain, an ENT surgeon and healthcare designer working in NHS Tayside. It is currently being supported through design, prototyping, product testing, clinical evaluation and manufacture in a collaboration with Scottish Health Innovations Ltd (SHIL) and Keela International, a textile and outdoor garment producing company based in Glenrothes.

The product provides a simple solution to a global risk faced by both patients and CPR personnel. Mouth to mouth and airway resuscitation is an aerosol-generating procedure (AGP) and poses a high risk of infection transmission to personnel in relation to all blood and fluid borne diseases. Coronavirus guidelines advise that personnel should don full AGP PPE before starting airway CPR – this process takes time, can cause delays in initiating airway resuscitated and often creates a contamination risk to personnel when adequate AGP PPE is not easily available.

The device is designed to act as personal protective equipment (PPE) applied to the patient, immediately reducing droplet and aerosol spread of blood or fluid borne diseases. It is constructed as a small, lightweight textile hood that integrates a ventilation mask, viral Heat Moisture Exchange (HME) filter and clear plastic barrier between the patient and personnel. It offers an affordable, rapid first response to airway management during CPR and can be used in a wide range of healthcare settings including hospitals, ambulances, emergency services, GP practices and in the community.

Different sized 'anaesthetic face masks' can be used within the hood, in order to adapt to the facial size of the patient. An EEG hood is currently being evaluated by Ian Morrison (Neurologist) working for NHS Tayside, as part of the laboratory-based epilepsy testing services.

Robert Rea, Head of Innovation at SHIL comments: “The CPR resuscitation hood has been developed in response to COVID-19 using the insight and expertise of clinicians working in the NHS. It is a very exciting project that solves a global problem. We are currently working in collaboration with the team at NHS Tayside and Keela International to support this through the intellectual property and trademarking process and accelerate its launch onto the market.”

Rodney Mountain, ENT surgeon at Ninewells Hospital comments: “Mouth to mouth resuscitation has always a been high-risk procedure where staff are exposed to saliva, blood and vomitus. The simple design of the T-Hood revolutionises CPR and will make airway resuscitation much less stressful and far safer. COVID-19 drove the innovation, but the safety benefits go well beyond COVID. I really hope that these wider safety benefits will be realised, not just on hospital wards but in ambulances, in emergency service packs and available for citizen ‘First aiders’ to use in the community”.

Ruwan Fernando, Operations Director for Keela International comments: "The team here at Keela have been delighted to be able to work together with NHS Tayside to assist in developing this potentially lifesaving device. It has involved a cross-department process, with engineers, technical designers and production all working together on a solution for the COVID-19 crisis."