AI-assisted oxygenation device shows promise in Quebec hospitals

Lakeshore Hospital on Montreal's West Island. (Matt Gilmour/CTV News)

A new device assisted by artificial intelligence (AI) used in respiratory therapy is being tested in Quebec hospitals and may eventually be deployed on a wider scale. It automatically adjusts patients' oxygen intake, reducing the risk of under-oxygenation.

Millions of patients receive oxygen every day, whether in hospital or at home. The device, which goes by the name “Free O2,” uses AI to adjust the flow of oxygen every second according to the patient's needs.

This tool was developed at the Institut universitaire de cardiologie et de pneumologie de Québec - Université Laval (IUCPQ). It was approved by Health Canada in 2019.

At the Lakeshore General Hospital in Montreal, testing of the device in the intensive care unit has been promising. The device reduced the average hospital stay for patients from 40 hours to 11 hours.

In intensive care, nurses and respiratory therapists see patients every hour, whereas on other floors this period can be more spaced out. “Despite the increased surveillance, we had a gain in terms of patients seeing their length of stay reduced substantially,” said Kevin McElreavy, head of respiratory activities at Lakeshore General Hospital.

CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal is integrating the “Free O2” machine into other facilities, like the LaSalle Hospital, which got it in January.

The Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS) announced that three other sites are piloting the device: CHUM, CISSS Montérégie-Centre and CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. The goal is to have healthcare establishments show the value of the technology before introducing it on a wider scale, the ministry told The Canadian Press.

Outdated traditional method

“Free O2” aims to replace the ball flow meter, a technology invented over a century ago that requires extensive staff supervision.

“Giving oxygen to our sick patients is something we've been doing for over 100 years, but the way it's done hasn't changed much. It was done manually, oxygenation was connected via a cylinder or piped system directly to the patient with adjustment done by a therapist,” said McElreavy.

Instead of manually adjusting the amount of oxygen given to the patient, the new device continuously measures the patient's oxygen saturation and adjusts it. This limits the risk of complications associated with hypoxemia (low oxygen levels) and hyperoxia (excess oxygen). The number of under-oxygenated patients has fallen from 17.2 per cent to 2.5 per cent, according to CIUSSS de l'Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal tests.

McElreavy said when respiratory distress occurs, staff will mobilize and care for the patient appropriately, avoiding the possibility of death. However, he believes that the distress experienced by the patient when they are unable to breathe properly should not be overlooked.

“If the professional has 30 patients to look after, they can't see them all at once, they have to see them one after the other. Necessarily, between now and 1 a.m., there's a good chance that the patient's oxygenation needs will have changed,” said McElreavy.

Considering that the tests at his hospital were carried out in intensive care, where there is increased supervision by nurses and respiratory therapists, McElreavy believes the benefits of the device have greater potential on emergency or other floors where there is less medical supervision.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 9, 2024.