🫁 Can you help us test the next generation of Oxygen Concentrator?

We’re looking for a Lab to support our Oxygen CoLab in lab testing of existing and new oxygen concentrators to understand their performance in low resource settings.

The Oxygen CoLab, part of Better Futures CoLab, is an initiative funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in partnership with UNICEF, that exists to drive the development, uptake, and scale of fit-for-purpose oxygen concentrators in low resource settings. This innovative device will have an impact by increasing access to oxygen for patients who need it most, especially newborns, children, and mothers in low income countries.

We are making this happen by defining what the ideal product should look like, supporting innovators and stimulating industry to conduct R&D, developing and testing new business models, generating evidence, and driving advocacy for adoption and scale of these new products and business models.

As part of a broader scope of work, the Oxygen CoLab is undertaking lab testing of existing and new oxygen concentrators to understand their performance in low resource settings. The aim of this is to inform future procurement by UNICEF and other global and national procurement agencies for oxygen concentrators that are most suitable for operation in such environments.

Two FRE02 oxygen concentrators installed in Karatu Health Centre in Tanzania

We are therefore looking for a Testing Lab to help with detailed development and adaptation of the protocol and testing apparatus, commissioning and validation of such protocol and apparatus, and testing of a number of oxygen concentrator devices. The focus of this testing is on environmental resilience, primarily heat and humidity, with methodology inspired by IEC 60068.

If this sparks your interest, then please download the Invitation to Tender (ITT) for more details about the opportunity and requirements for the role.

If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you!

The Oxygen CoLab will be hosting twolive Q&A session to provide more information about the ITT on the 13th October at 16:00 BST, and our second session will take place on the 21st October at 16:00 BST. You can sign up for that event here

Please confirm if you are interested in bidding by sending an email to Oxygen@makingbetterfutures.org stating Lab Testing ITT in the subject line.

Bids and any clarification questions should also be sent using the details provided. The application deadline is 08:00 (GMT) on 7th October 2022.