{"id":19145,"date":"2024-04-11T10:12:23","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T08:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/?p=19145"},"modified":"2024-04-11T10:12:26","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T08:12:26","slug":"disinfection-device-detherma-cystic-fibrosis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/industries\/medical\/disinfection-device-detherma-cystic-fibrosis_19145\/","title":{"rendered":"Germs? Blown away: Disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device for inhaler"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Around 8,000 people in Germany and over 54,000 across Europe have cystic fibrosis, a hered\u00adi\u00adtary disease that primarily affects the lungs. Inhala\u00adtion brings the medica\u00adtion directly to where it is needed and is there\u00adfore one of the most impor\u00adtant treat\u00adment methods for those affected. However, the devices used for this purpose, known as nebu\u00adlizers or inhalers, can also pose a health risk. <\/p>\n\n\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If they them\u00adselves become a source of germs, they trans\u00adport viruses or bacteria directly into the already weak\u00adened lungs. Hygienic cleaning of inhalers is there\u00adfore an impor\u00adtant part of cystic fibrosis therapy\u200a\u2013\u200aand of everyday life for people with the disease. \u201cHaving time for friends, family, and leisure is also a form of inclu\u00adsion and health. Unfor\u00adtu\u00adnately, this is some\u00adthing that many sufferers miss out on,\u201d explains Michael Nord\u00admann, co-founder of Detherma GmbH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About cystic fibrosis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cystic fibrosis is a congen\u00adital meta\u00adbolic disease<\/strong> and is consid\u00adered rare. A change in the cystic fibrosis gene<\/strong> causes an imbal\u00adance in the salt-water balance of the cells. As a result, the mucus that covers the cells becomes thick and clogs organs<\/strong> in the body of those affected. The lungs are usually affected, which is why inhala\u00adtion with inhalettes<\/strong> is often used as a therapy. This is because the inhalers trans\u00adport the medica\u00adtion directly into the lungs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Muko\u00adviszi\u00addose e.V.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Until 2018, Michael Nord\u00admann himself had no points of contact with cystic fibrosis or inhalers. That is, until he met Peter Kr\u00fcger through his previous work for an injec\u00adtion molding company. Kr\u00fcger had devel\u00adoped and patented a disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device for stain\u00adless steel inhalers. Nord\u00admann was enthu\u00adsi\u00adastic: \u201cHe wanted to develop the device into a less expen\u00adsive plastic one. I found the concept and the idea behind the product convincing.\u201d So convincing that he became an investor and, together with Kr\u00fcger and three other part\u00adners, founded Detherma GmbH as an inde\u00adpen\u00addent company for the sale of disin\u00adfec\u00adtion devices. But what makes the device so inno\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Nord\u00admann found the concept of the disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device so convincing that he became an investor and co-founder.<\/mark><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

(Photo | Cornelius Bierer)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germ-free through drying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several disin\u00adfec\u00adtion devices on the market that disin\u00adfect inhalers without germs. The problem is that they do this with water vapor and the inhalers there\u00adfore come out of the disin\u00adfec\u00adtion process wet. When they are dried in the ambient air or with a cloth, water droplets remain on the freshly cleaned inhalers. This can lead to the build-up of dangerous, humidity-loving germs. So, for the health of cystic fibrosis sufferers, a device is needed that blows away all the residual water imme\u00addi\u00adately after cleaning.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The compact fan is powerful, reli\u00adable and quiet. (Photo | Cornelius Bierer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This is the inno\u00adva\u00adtion behind the Detherma device: The nebu\u00adlizer comes out germ-free and dry, ready for its next use, after just 55 minutes. For the drying process, a compact fan draws in fresh air through a HEPA filter and conveysthe air into the disin\u00adfec\u00adtion and drying basket. Compact fans from ebm-papst already performed this job in Peter Kr\u00fcger\u2019s patented stain\u00adless steel appli\u00adance. So, when the new plastic product was being devel\u00adoped, it was clear that the same fans would be needed again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, despite their expe\u00adri\u00adence with the stain\u00adless steel device, a few chal\u00adlenges awaited the devel\u00adopers and the compact fan they were looking for: \u201cThe fan has to be very powerful so that it can draw in enough air through the HEPA filter. But because the disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device is used in the patient\u2019s home, it should still be very quiet, virtu\u00adally inaudible. And because it is used several times a day, the fan must also work reli\u00adably over the long term,\u201d explains Michael Nord\u00admann.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small damper, big effect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Detherma sent a proto\u00adtype of the plastic disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device to ebm-papst in St. Georgen. Richard Kien\u00adzler, Sales Engi\u00adneer at ebm-papst, suggested using the 422J axial fan due to its small instal\u00adla\u00adtion dimen\u00adsions: \u201cIt\u2019s very powerful, so it can still deliver the required air flow at a low speed\u200a\u2013\u200aand there\u00adfore quietly. This is due to the blade geom\u00adetry, which gener\u00adates the high pres\u00adsure increase and air flow.\u201d Detherma was satis\u00adfied with the initial measure\u00adments and installed a larger number of fans in disin\u00adfec\u00adtion devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the noise level was suddenly no longer accept\u00adable in some of them. Some\u200a\u2013\u200asuppos\u00adedly iden\u00adtical\u200a\u2013\u200adevices were loud, while others were not. \u201cebm-papst then quickly carried out tests in the labo\u00adra\u00adtory that we couldn\u2019t do ourselves,\u201d says Nord\u00admann. Richard Kien\u00adzler explains the result of the measure\u00adments: \u201cNo matter which fans we installed in a loud device, it always remained loud. And the quiet devices remained quiet, what\u00adever the fan model. So it had to be the housing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This small sili\u00adcone damper prevents vibra\u00adtions in the housing from causing annoying noises. (Photo | Cornelius Bierer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Elec\u00adtrical func\u00adtion tests are carried out after instal\u00adla\u00adtion. (Photo | Cornelius Bierer)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The matter was explained by the discovery that even tiny differ\u00adences in assembly led to the noise. So Detherma installed a sili\u00adcone damper in the cover. \u201cOf course as a start-up, it\u2019s a huge bonus for us to be supported by the devel\u00adopers at ebm-papst in this way. Even though we haven\u2019t ordered thou\u00adsands and thou\u00adsands of prod\u00aducts,\u201d says a delighted Michael Nord\u00admann.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quality of life for those affected<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Detherma is convinced of the impor\u00adtance of the product. What is still missing is offi\u00adcial approval as a prescrip\u00adtion-only medical product in Germany\u200a\u2013\u200aa process that may take some time. But Michael Nord\u00admann and his part\u00adners are in good spirits: \u201cThe feed\u00adback from clinics, rehab facil\u00adi\u00adties, and people with the disease has been very posi\u00adtive. Many cystic fibrosis sufferers who use the disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device tell us that they have not had any lung infec\u00adtions for a long time. That is, of course, exactly what we want to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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As a start-up, it\u2019s a huge bonus for us to be supported by the devel\u00adopers at ebm-papst in this way.<\/p>\nMichael Nord\u00admann, Co-founder Detherma GmbH<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The disin\u00adfec\u00adtion device can also have a posi\u00adtive effect on patients with COPD, a chronic lung disease, as some doctors have already reported. Cleaning inhalers using the Detherma device is very easy for these doctors and their patients. They simply need to put the nebu\u00adlizer into the device, press the start button, and take it out 55 minutes later, clean and dry. More time for enjoying life\u200a\u2013\u200aand health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Around 8,000 people in Germany and over 54,000 across Europe have cystic fibrosis, a hered\u00adi\u00adtary disease that primarily affects the lungs. Inhala\u00adtion brings the medica\u00adtion directly to where it is needed and is there\u00adfore one of the most impor\u00adtant treat\u00adment methods for those affected. However, the devices used for this purpose, known as nebu\u00adlizers or [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fans","category-medical"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19145"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19272,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19145\/revisions\/19272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mag.ebmpapst.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}