A drop in the Oceanic

Oceanic Medical, a Kansas company, is a niche manufacturer of respiratory and anesthesia devices for civilian and military users. Each of its products seeks to address a market too small to become a primary focus of the principal manufacturers.

Model 1
The Magellan-2200 (a name shared by the entire line of anesthesia devices) Model 1 was developed by Oceanic in close cooperation with the United States Army for forward anesthesia delivery in a hostile and often rugged environment. The requirement was that the device needed to be completely portable, and be able to operate without electricity. The result is Model 1, a fully pneumatic and battlefield portable anesthesia delivery device. Weight is forty five pounds, and that number includes an eleven pound vaporizer. From a full production, full deployment order in early 2004, Oceanic has been providing this equipment to United States Army providers worldwide. Fully FDA cleared, the Model 1 device has found favor with civilian providers who are now able to travel with an anesthesia machine, complete with ventilator, as opposed to using what they find on mission travels. In hospital environments, the Model 1 device has been found to be useful in special procedure rooms (including MRI Certified) primarily because of its small footprint and extremely low cost, when compared to other available equipment.

Model 2
The Magellan-2200 Model 2 device, also fully FDA cleared, is also portable and is designed for use by the world’s military and emergency preparedness forces. With its virtually unlimited power source options, this device can truly go anywhere, anytime, and can be stored without damage until needed. The device has the same general appearance of the Model 1, and is commonly powered by electricity, at any voltage. From a wall outlet the power is taken to a transformer where it is regulated to 120 volt, which drives a fist sized medical grade air compressor, which in turn drives the ventilator; should one loose that wall power (as one often does), a battery back up will operate the compressor for another two hours, should one lose that, as well, with the flip of a switch, the device can operate pneumatically, just like Model 1 and if all of that fails, the device offers what amount to jumper cables which can take direct current from, say, a vehicle battery. Should all of that fail, or be unavailable, the patient can be bagged. There is not another anesthesia device, which offers the provider so many opportunities to save people’s lives, regardless of the circumstances where anesthesia providers and surgeons would be working.

Model 3
The Magellan-2200 Model 3 device was designed to be used where size and weight were of critical importance. At only twenty nine pounds, including an eleven pound vaporizer, it can easily be transported in a backpack. Because of its tiny footprint, it could be of vital importance where floor space is limited, as it requires only a square foot within an emergency room where space is at a premium. We also wanted to provide the community of providers with a device so inexpensive that anyone wishing to travel with the device can do so without burdening other budgets. The Model 3 device is likewise MRI certified.

Ventilator
The Magellan Ventilator is a five pound workhorse. To be specific, it is a volume constant, pressure limited, time cycled, pneumatically powered ventilator. Because of rugged dependability and low cost, together with the notion that it can be stored for very long periods of time without any adverse effects, it has proven extremely popular with agencies charged with preparing for natural or manmade disasters, such as avian flu, terrorist attack or storms that damage or interrupt electrically operated devices. With an installed base of several thousand units worldwide, the Magellan Ventilator, represents wonderfully good value for the money. Every Magellan Ventilator is now MRI certified, and a special version of this workhorse is available for both mono place and multi place hyperbaric chambers, as further examples of the niche markets served.

Rod Peake, president of Oceanic, demands that the company seek to provide safe, dependable, low cost equipment designed to meet a specific need within the marketplace.

During our interview with Peake, he also said: “With new projects on the burner all the time, it doesn’t look like the market for specialty medical devices is going away any time soon.Our competitors make fine anesthesia equipment and offer terrific service to their customers, but because of the many layers of overhead, their pricing is understandably much higher than ours—as a small and flexible company, we are also able to provide fine equipment and service, but without all of the overhead, which simply means lower prices.

“Sooner or later, hospital management will insist on good value for their money, and will become much more price conscious and will ask the hard questions about how often a prospective new device would actually be used? Will it be stored for long periods between usage? Is it easy enough to operate that a new provider who takes a look (at the pre-use checklist) can operate it safely? Can our biomedical staff easily care for the equipment without special and often costly training? Are any special tools required?, Is a service contract is required? As these questions are asked, our simple and safe products may look ever more attractive.”

“Our outstanding relationship with the United States Army is the bread-and-butter of this small company. It turns out to be a serendipitous coincidence that our products are finding niches in the civilian community, and it is a further coincidence that as military providers return home from active duty, many remember the ease of use and simplicity of the devices which helped them save the lives of countless of America’s injured men and women.”

“Many, if not most, hospital administrators have never heard of our company and were not aware that anesthesia equipment was actually manufactured somewhere other than Europe. With no required service contracts, minimal maintenance and no special training or tools required, we are getting more and more opportunities to offer our products to hospitals who just a few years ago would not have given us a second look. In the former mindset, when they thought about anesthesia, only two names came to mind, and now, for some at least, they think of three - but only if they’re interested in their bottom line.

“We believe that at least fifty cents of every dollar spent on advertising is a complete waste of resource— the thing is, we don’t know which fifty cents. We advertise only when we have something to say, right now we’re launching Model 3, which gives us the opportunity to also comment on the other anesthesia models as well as the little ventilator.

“While we are interested in making sales, we are even more interested in offering a piece of equipment which makes sense. It is only by an open and fulsome discussion with a decision maker that we can together determine whether any of our devices match the needs of that institution, and thus make sense. More times than I care to admit, I have referred callers to our competitors, as their products simply fit the need better than ours.
To a large extent we see our job as matching equipment with needs, if we are successful in the match, we will enjoy success in the market.

“We are told that this publication is designed for businessmen who have undertaken the responsibility to make good business decisions for the institutions who employ them. We believe we may be able to be helpful to them as they go about this undertaking. It will be relatively easy to determine whether this publication is designed for administration as opposed to providers of care.”

To contact Rod Peake or Oceanic Medical:
T: 913-874-2000
F: 913-874-2005
E: oceanicmedical@lvnworth.com
www.oceanicmedical.com