A NEW type of ventilator developed in Ammanford to treat coronavirus patients has been approved by the UK Government.

The device has been designed by Glangwili senior consultant Dr Rhys Thomas with the help of Maurice Clarke of CR Clarke & Co, an engineering company based in Betws.

The Covid CPAP machine helps patients to breathe and also cleans a room of viral particles, ensuring that patients are only supplied with purified air.

It will now undergo clinical trials in the hope that hundreds of the machines can be made and used in hospitals across the UK.

The device had already been given the go-ahead by the Welsh Government and last month the machine was used to treat a patient in Llanelli who had tested positive for coronavirus.

It has now been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care that is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices used in the UK.

Carmarthenshire County Council Leader Councillor Emlyn Dole has welcomed the latest development.

He said: “This is a fantastic example of medical and technical expertise coming together at a critical time to meet the formidable challenge of dealing with this terrible virus.

“Hywel Dda Health Board must be commended for their faith in facilitating the project during this crisis, which is unprecedented in our lifetime.

“It is encouraging to see the local business sector bringing innovation and entrepreneurship to the fore in this present crisis.”

Professor Keir Lewis, Respiratory Lead for Hywel Dda, added: “This potentially promising CPAP machine now has the appropriate plans and support across Wales to undergo a rapid and careful evaluation with patients and we await the outcome of these trials with interest.”

Hywel Dda University Health Board is having to adapt hospital wards to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients and the council is working closely with them to set up four field hospitals in the county.

The county council is converting Carmarthen and Llanelli Leisure Centres, the Selwyn Samuel Centre and the Parc y Scarlets barn in Llanelli, into temporary hospitals to provide additional bed space for the NHS.