Uni-flo2 Single-nasal Cannula System Favored by COPD Patients Using It, Company Reports

A patient-satisfaction survey found that the uni-flo2 single-nasal cannula system (Uni-flo2) is considered to be comfortable, stable and secure by 98 percent of those who responded, the system’s developers reported in a press release.

Uni-flo2 is designed to ensure continuous oxygen flow, equivalent to the low-flow, dual-pronged cannula but with half the skin contact.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were reported to respond positively in the survey, saying that the Uni-flo2 led to greater comfort, more freedom of movement, and improved sleep and ease of eating. Other details regarding this user survey — like number of people who responded — were not given in the release.

Uni-flo2 was designed to conform to facial contours to eliminate chafing, facial, or neck abrasion. The system is interchangeable to either nostril, with multiple strain-relief positions that ensure oxygen flow, reducing accidental tube tugging or pulling, according to UPODS, the company that developed, manufactured, and distributes Uni-flo2.

“With the vast number of COPD patients struggling to breathe and requiring low flow supplemental oxygen, the introduction of the Uni-flo₂ discreet, lightweight single cannula is a welcome life-changing enhancement that optimizes oxygen absorption and improves health,” Campbell Cauthen, co-inventor of Uni-flo2 and a company co-founder, said in the release.

“Placement of the soft-design Uni-flo₂ on just one side of the face eliminates opportunity for skin chafing that can lead to infection, and makes it easier for people to move around more freely. The safety and ease-of-wear benefits – in addition to the cosmetic appeal of a single cannula – promote patient compliance with treatment prescriptions,” Cauthen added.

According to the company’s website, the system is the first substantive improvement in the delivery of low-flow oxygen via nasal cannula in decades.

Uni-flo2 is developed, manufactured, and distributed by UPODS, funded by Cauthen and Hugh Payton.

“Uni-flo₂ is perfect for my challenge with COPD. I am missing cartilage in my right ear so I can’t use a two-prong cannula without taping it on. Uni-flo₂ Single-Nasal Cannula System gives me the pulse oximetry I need and increased comfort,” Mike M., a COPD patient of Wichita Falls, Texas, was reported to respond in the survey.