The breath of life
In many remote communities, the thought of electricity can be a distant reality, but now a device is producing oxygen without electricity and saving lives
Published 26 September 2018
Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children worldwide. But when it comes to fighting the disease, particularly in remote communities, the key problem is access to medicine and technology
Oxygen, with antibiotics, is crucial to pneumonia treatment, but not every healthcare facility has oxygen available. In fact, some don’t even have electricity.
In 2011, a team of physics researchers - including Associate Professor Roger Rassool from the University of Melbourne - collaborated with colleagues from a wide range of disciplines to develop the first electricity-free oxygen concentrating system, known as FREO₂.
FREO₂ draws water from local river streams and uses it to produce oxygen, without electricity. And now, it’s saving lives.
Episode recorded: August 28, 2018
Interviewer: Dr Andi Horvath
Producers: Dr Andi Horvath, Chris Hatzis and Silvi Vann-Wall
Audio engineer and editor: Chris Hatzis
Banner: Peter Casamento
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