Detecting Nitrous Oxide levels in maternity wards at Hull University Teaching Hospital.
The iX programme is supporting Hull University Teaching Hospitals to find innovators who can provide a solution to allow them to monitor and display levels of nitrous gases in their clinical suites in real time. The solution will focus on the maternity wards, where nitrous gas is commonly used. Other clinical departments being considered include emergency departments and orthopaedics.
Opportunity
Challenge opens
28/04/2025
Challenge closes
06/06/2025
Benefit
Hull University Teaching Hospital is looking to identify solutions to their nitrous gas challenge. Successful solutions may be offered a trial which if successful could be rolled out across Humber Health Partnership. Potential roll out to the wider NHS may also be possible.
Background
The NHS has a target to reach net zero by 2040. Each NHS Trust is working hard to achieve this target and are identifying areas and challenges where greenhouse emissions are still high.
Hull University Teaching Hospitals have already made great headway in reducing carbon emissions from anaesthetic gases from 5000 tons per year to 1000 tons per year.
The NHS currently uses Entonox gas (a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen) as an anaesthetic gas. The gas is used for short term pain relief on maternity wards, emergency departments and orthopaedic suites. Nitrous oxide and oxygen gas has been identified as one of the hospitals biggest sources of greenhouse emissions. The hospital trust also recognises that staff could be exposed to nitrous oxide gas, and they need to protect staff as part of identifying where there may be areas of concentrated gas.
The challenge holder is looking for cost-effective ways to being able to measure and monitor hospital rooms for these emissions, with the focus being on their maternity wards where nitrous oxide and oxygen is used by mothers during labour. The anaesthetic gas is piped from a manifold system into a bed head unit on each delivery suite. The clinicians plug breathing apparatus into these units to allow women in labour to access the gas for pain relief.
Hull University Teaching Hospital have already trialled the G200 nitrous oxide product. The product is designed to safely check breathing levels within a room, or having individuals wear a device which monitors gas usage.
The challenge holder is looking for a sensory system which will allow them to monitor nitrous oxide in real time on these wards and help identify potential leakages.
This challenge is brought to you by:
