NIHR HealthTech Research Centre: Sustainable Innovation

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Cutting environmental footprint by revolutionising anaesthesia capture

Anaesthetic gases like Sevoflurane and Isoflurane are essential to modern surgery, but they present a significant environmental cost. Once vented into the atmosphere through traditional methods, they act as highly potent greenhouse gases — contributing thousands of times more to global warming than carbon dioxide.

To address this, a breakthrough closed-loop capture system was developed – offering an efficient, more sustainable alternative. SageTech developed a circular solution that captures, recovers and recycles anaesthetic gas waste. Its reusable SID-Can filters collect waste during procedures, which is returned to SageTech for recovery and recycling. The recovered waste is then converted into reusable anaesthetics – creating a circular economy, cutting clinical costs and supporting NHS Net Zero goals by reducing emissions.

This innovative approach not only prevents harmful emissions but also enables recycling of valuable clinical materials – drastically reducing the environmental impact of anaesthesia in healthcare settings. As the NHS works towards net-zero, solutions like this play a critical role in building a more sustainable future for patient care.

To support development, our HRC:

  • Enabled real-world testing with anaesthetic machines, theatres, and NHS technical staff.
  • Supported in vivo data collection across evolving prototypes in NHS settings.
  • Provided clinical oversight and integration via anaesthetists, engineers, and ODPs.
  • Assisted successful Innovate UK bids and offered marketing support.
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