Linde India, a member of The Linde Group, has launched Linde Integrated Valve (LIV) medical oxygen cylinder which comes in a light-weight aluminium cylinder with a latest integrated valve.
Weighing under 6 kg, the cylinder is the lightest medical oxygen cylinder available in India. It is ergonomically designed with two handles for easy lifting and carrying, and for mounting onto a hospital bed with the bed hanger. Another safety feature is its anti-rollover design keeping it stable even when accidentally tipped over.
These features make the cylinder highly mobile and an ideal solution for continuous oxygen therapy both at the hospital and at home. For patients who have been prescribed oxygen therapy, this is critical as the therapy needs to be continued at all times, including during transportation to the hospital or between departments at the hospital.
Another innovative feature is the LIV built-in gas regulator and flow selector which enables a caregiver to dispense oxygen to the patient safely and with ease.
With the LIV, the caregiver no longer needs to attach separate equipment such as a wrench and a regulator (to regulate the flow of the oxygen) that are required to dispense medical oxygen in the case of traditional steel cylinders equipped with Pin-Index or Bull-Nose valves. The LIV has an active gauge which shows the content of gas in the cylinder at all times. This eliminates any ambiguity on how much oxygen remains in the cylinder and enables the care giver to dispense the right amount of oxygen to the patient with confidence.
The unique LIV has a gas flow selector with 12 flow positions. The flow rate can be pre-set and is clearly displayed. Upon a twist of the shut-off valve, the LIV can be fully open. The care-giver can then select the flowrate according to the prescribed flowrate and dispense the oxygen.
The new package is also MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) conditional and can be placed as close as 30 cm to the opening of a 3.0 Tesla magnet without posing any known hazards to the patient.
The new package is filled with medical oxygen which is manufactured according to Indian Pharmacopoeia, 2014 standards. The entire supply chain – from production, quality control, packaging, storing and distribution - complies rigorously with the Drugs and Cosmetics Acts, 1940 and Rules, 1945 standards, ensuring gas quality and reliability, and patient safety. To ensure strict product quality control and safety, Linde has dedicated LIV filling stations at its production plant, as well as special storage facility.
Moloy Banerjee, managing director, Linde India, said, “We are excited to present what we call the ‘LIV experience’ to the India healthcare market – our high- quality medical oxygen packaged in a compact, light-weight, ergonomically designed mobile cylinder with LIV. LIV is a first of its kind in the country and sets a new standard in oxygen therapy. We believe that it will change the course of how mobile oxygen therapy is delivered in the country. It will significantly raise patient safety levels and bring convenience and cost-effectiveness to the end user. We are confident that it will become the medical gas solution of choice for healthcare professionals in hospital settings, and those in emergency care such as ambulances, as well as homecare patients. We are proud to have already signed our first LIV contract today with Premier Hospital, one of the most reputed hospitals in Hyderabad. I see this launch as the launch of the next generation of medical oxygen solutions in India.”