Africa innovates Magazine -AI4DEV - Flipbook - Page 30
AFRICA INNOVATES
ARTHUR ZANG (Cameroon)
OXYGEN FOR THE
MANY NOT A FEW
O X Y N E T , O X YG E N P R O D U C T I O N M A C H I N E
At 32 years of age Arthur Zang, a
Cameroonian bio-medical engineer
has invented Oxynnet (Oxygen National Network) a medical oxygen-producing machine, which is vital for patient
care against COVID-19.
This is a major medical step, given that medical oxygen
is only available in major hospitals and accessible to the
few who can afford it. An hour of access to a ventilator
costs 10,000FCA in Cameroon, which is beyond the reach
of many.
According to Arthur, the easy-to-install “Oxynnet”,
which is a set of interconnected medical oxygen generators, will allow each hospital to produce its own oxygen.
Each Oxynnet station is connected to electricity and
produces 93% pure oxygen from the natural air.
The station has a battery plus a solar panel and is
3G-enabled granting the users and operators the ability
to monitor it effectively, even remotely by using mobile
phones.
“We wanted to suppress the spread of the virus by
allowing each patient to be treated in their localities, save
on transport costs and reduce the myriad risks of infection
to others,” says Arthur. “This idea was inspired from the
Cardio-Pad system which is an electrocardiogram device
enabled through telemedicine allowing heart patients to
be treated remotely.” Arthur says.
E A S Y - TO - A S S E M B L E
Oxynnet is a big boost in the COVID-19 fight as it is affordable, easy-to-assemble and adaptable for both cities
and remote regions.
30 SHOWCASING AFRICAN INNOVATION
Arthur is a graduate of Cameroon’s National Advanced
School of Engineering in Yaoundé. In 2009, and as a
young student, he discovered that Cameroon had only 40
cardiologists for 19 million inhabitants. He also realized
that 90% of these specialists were living and working
in cities while 70% of the population are domiciled in
villages.
R O L E X AWA R D - W I N N E R
This motivated Arthur to create the Cardio-Pad, which is
a medical device that performs heart examinations and
remote diagnosis. This invention won the Rolex Awards
for Enterprise in 2014 and the Africa Prize for Engineering
Innovation in 2016. In 2012 Arthur founded Himore
Medical which is the first medical devices manufacturing
company in Cameroon. Today it has 17 employees.
It is the success of the Cardio-Pad that stirred Arthur to
action when COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.
A prototype of Oxynnet has been, designed and tested
indicating initial positive results. Cameroon’s medical
authorities ready for rollout now recommend it.
Arthur hopes that the uptake of Oxynnet will be as
successful as his other invention the Cardio-Pad which
is used in more than 120 hospitals in all of Cameroon’s
10 regions. “We plan to have the same impact with the
Oxygen station,” he says.
Financial and logistics challenges are among the barriers that Arthur has to overcome. “To produce each Oxynet
station, we use 75% of local material and 25% of material that we import from Asia. The biggest challenge for
us will be to get the materials we need and to deliver the
product to rural hospitals,” Arthur says. “We need financial
assistance to deliver the essential product. My hope is
to launch this factory in 2020 and produce 400 Oxynet
stations per year and many other life-saving medical
appliances like ultrasound, ECG and EMG devices.”
