Training for future respiratory pandemics and disasters: Hospital-based use of MOVES SLC and MADM

A groundbreaking project helps prepare anesthesia and critical care physicians for future respiratory pandemics and disaster scenarios where advanced respiratory care is urgently needed.

At the centre of this initiative is the MOVES SLC, a Canadian-designed and built self-contained portable life support device. When paired with the circle-circuit ventilator embedded in the MOVES SLC, the MADM (Mobile Anesthesia Delivery Module) reconstitutes a complete anesthesia gas machine. This compact, lightweight configuration is capable of operating for several hours without power or external oxygen. This capability makes it ideally suited for field hospitals, military operations, and disaster zones where conventional anesthesia machines are not feasible.

The devices were conceived by Drs. Joseph Fisher and Ludwik Fedorko, anesthesiologists at the University Health Network, and is designed and manufactured in Canada by Thornhill Medical.  MOVES SLC has already been widely adopted by the Government of Canada, disaster management agencies, and emergency services such as Ornge and EMAT Ontario. Over 200 units have also been donated by the Government of Canada to Canadian NGOs and deployed to Ukraine to support ongoing medical care.

Lieutenant Commander Gregory Silverman, a UofT faculty member and medical specialist officer with 1 Canadian Field Hospital, recently began using MOVES SLC and MADM to provide anesthetic care during routine elective surgeries to train other members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). This represents the first time in North America that MOVES SLC and MADM has been used to provide hospital-based civilian perioperative care, a significant step forward for the CAF medical readiness at home and abroad.

“This civilian–military partnership allows CAF medical specialists to train in a controlled environment, become comfortable with the system, and refine their skills on real patients before deploying with it in the field,” says Dr. Silverman.

Funded by the Canadian Armed Forces with donated equipment from Thornhill Medical, this work underscores how collaborative partnerships can translate medical innovation into practical solutions for future challenges.