Every second counts in critical moments when someone stops breathing. Yet, the lifesaving tools available in places like football fields, restaurants and even military battlefields are often rudimentary.

Local 12 News reported that this could soon change, thanks to a groundbreaking innovation from researchers and clinicians at the University of Cincinnati.

After years of meticulous development, Justin Benoit, MD, MS, UC Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine; Jason McMullan, MD, MS, UC Professor of Emergency Medicine and Ephraim Gutmark, PhD, distinguished professor of aerospace engineering, have launched Rescue Ventilation Solutions, a startup that aims to revolutionize emergency resuscitation.

Their product nicknamed “Spiritus” is a novel technology that has been in development since 2017 and is designed to attach to any standard bag valve mask used when someone stops breathing, such as during cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.

Using a bag valve mask without a means to measure critical variables — such as the amount of air being delivered, the rate of breaths and the pressure exerted — can be perilous.

As Benoit explains, “It’s like flying a plane with no gauges. How someone uses a bag valve mask determines how much oxygen is in the blood, the pH of the blood and the circulation to the heart muscle itself — all of which can determine life or death.”

RVS's tiny, 2-inch device, weighing less than 100 grams, promises to bring the precision of a ventilator to the palm of a bystander or first responder.

While highly effective, traditional mechanical ventilators are cumbersome and expensive, weighing in at over 30 pounds and costing thousands of dollars. They are not practical in most emergency situations outside of a hospital. When someone stops breathing in a supermarket aisle, on a sports field or in a school, the tools at hand are usually limited to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or a bag valve mask.

The Spiritus device is inexpensive, portable, disposable and, above all, accessible, unlike bulky ventilators, typically confined to hospital settings due to their size and weight.

It’s costly to bring lifesaving technology to patients; however, RVS identified a gap and wants to close it to save people. RVS has hustled and is making significant strides, securing substantial funding to bring the device closer to reality. Since 2017, the team has secured a total of $420,000 from the UC Department of Emergency Medicine, the UC Technology Accelerator for Commercialization, the UC Venture Lab and the Ohio Department of Development’s Technology Validation and Startup Fund (TVSF).

With an intellectual property (IP) license now granted by the UC Office of Technology Transfer, located within the 1819 Innovation Hub, RVS is moving forward with the final development of its minimum viable product, a critical step before presenting it to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval. This regulatory milestone is essential for the commercialization of the device, and RVS is actively seeking an investor to accelerate the process.

Next Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.