Dankotuwa Porcelain creates customised Steam Inhalers
View(s):Dankotuwa Porcelain PLC has introduced a new customised steam inhaler which is ideal for individuals affected by respiratory tract infections including COVID-19.
Designed and advised by Dr. Charith Nanayakkara, Lecturer of the Department of Surgery specialising in Neurosurgery at Teaching Hospital, Kotalawela Defense University Sri Lanka, this modified steam inhaling device will be made available at hospitals and quarantine centres currently providing medical care for patients affected by COVID-19, the company said in a media release on Wednesday.
The Dankotuwa Steam Inhalers
The Dankotuwa steam inhaler is easy to use and can be utilised at home for the prevention of multiple respiratory tract-related conditions. This product is a modified version of the existing steam apparatus called the Nissen Steamer which is considered outdated but is currently being used by hospitals.
“At a time when health officials and governments are battling to create a better place amidst current global pandemic, the Ambeon Group is pleased to be able to contribute towards this effort and serve the people of Sri Lanka and the world,” said Murali Prakash, Group Managing Director Ambeon Capital PLC and Ambeon Holdings PLC. “As per medical advice and insights, the steam inhalation can help immensely in the prevention and treatment of many respiratory related conditions which includes infections such as COVID-19. We are also trying to make the product more affordable across other countries. Once manufacturing operations are enabled fully, we intend producing this in bigger batches for the benefit of the community at large”.
Special features
The Dankotuwa Steam inhaler comes with a nasal steaming tube which will help to directly focus the steam to the mouth/ nose. This will give a closer path for the inhaled steam to move towards the Frontal Sinus when treating Frontal Sinusitis (Frontal Sinus is the sinus that one has right above the eyes which is also a common sinus which causes sinusitis and headache).
The rubber tube which was used in the first batch of inhalers produced is intended to be modified and replaced with porcelain, so that it could be sterilized and cleaned easily and thus would trap less germs. This will also ensure that germs will be killed, avoiding transmission from one patient to another, even if the inhaler is shared.
The product is easy to use and can also be used in the household setup as it could be disinfected easily using household disinfectant chemicals or boiling.
Commenting about the product, Dr. Charith Nanayakkara said, “As a doctor in the Neurosurgical field I come across a lot of patients with headaches due to sinusitis. They consult us because they fear it is a sinister problem in their brain. I have personally used steaming as a treatment method in these patients and have witnessed how powerful it is. I will soon publish an article with my data and experience with steam in such patients so that the ‘scientific community’ will receive statistical data to value and appreciate the science behind this technique. We believe that this technique could be used even in the households of COVID-19 patients which applies to countries that have an overwhelming number of patients at this hour. We are planning on making ‘Dankotuwa Steamers’ available to countries like the US, Italy, France so that they have a versatile simple weapon to combat COVID-19 as we believe that it’s high time that we Sri Lankans took care of the world as well”.
How it works
Pour in the boiling hot water into the Dankotuwa Steam Inhaler and inhale through the mouth.
One needs to be cautious as hot water and steam can burn. Hence ensure that the hotness of the water is like when one is drinking a hot cup of tea (hold the palm against the spout on the lid).
For patients with chest infection, steam inhalation is currently prescribed twice a day. However, this frequency can be adjusted according to the requirement.
Naked steam is best. Sometimes menthol is used. This is to make steaming more pleasant rather than for significant therapeutic benefit.