Our Story
From a pandemic-era sprint to a patented platform
OxVent — a spin-out of Oxford University & King’s College London, supported by Smith & Nephew — was born from a simple but urgent idea: every breath matters.
How we got here
2020
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Oxford University & King’s College London assemble an elite team. OxVent designed and built to MHRA ICU standards. Over 8,000 person-hours invested. Smith & Nephew provide pro-bono engineering consultancy.
December 2021
ISO 13485 Accreditation
OxVent’s manufacturing facility achieves ISO 13485 accreditation. A comprehensive Quality Management System is built with Smith & Nephew’s support.
2022–2023
Social Mission Defined
OxVent constitutes as a social enterprise. Two objectives enshrined in Articles of Association: support affordable ventilator deployment in LMICs and develop ventilation for under-resourced settings.
2023
Venturi Patent Filed
A patented venturi-driven ventilation system is developed — the only one of its kind. Reduces medicinal air by over 50% with no venting of unused gas.
2024
Technical Feasibility Proven ✓
Oxford University Summer School validates OxVent-P using a Michigan Lung at all MHRA clinical parameters. Supports pressure control volume guarantee (PCVG). TRL 4 achieved.
2026
Seeking Partners & Investors
~£150k investment sought to productize OxVent-P to ISO standards, undertake LMIC user testing, and achieve TRL 6 within 6–8 months.
What we’ve achieved
✔Designed & built to UK MHRA ICU standard for COVID-19
✔Patent granted for OxVent-P — venturi-driven, sustainable ventilator
✔Technically proven using a Michigan Lung at all MHRA clinical parameters
✔8,000+ person-hours of elite clinical and engineering expertise
✔Quality Control System certified to ISO 13485 (December 2021)
✔£1,140,000 in market-value of invested person-hours from Oxford, KCL & Smith & Nephew
Stakeholder Voices
What our partners say
“
In post-partum there is mild prematurity and infant respiratory distress syndrome. 50% of neonatal deaths occur within 24 hours. There are many preventable deaths with proper access to ventilation.
Prof. Peter von Dadelszen
Professor of Global Women’s Health, King’s College London
“
CHAM and the ministry evaluate and select medical equipment partners based on availability of spare parts, service contracts and interoperability. Third-party agents are expensive and unsustainable.
Dr. Dumisani Nkhoma
Health Programs Manager, CHAM, Malawi
Help us write the next chapter
Partner with us to bring OxVent-P to hospitals that need it most.