Oxygen is an essential medicine, but reliable access is elusive in many parts of the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In fact, the World Health Organisation estimates that more than 800,000 children under five die each year from pneumonia, many of whom could be saved with reliable oxygen therapy.
The O2 Cube, a solar-powered micro-pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit developed by US-based medical technology firm LeanMed and deployed by Nigeria’s HealthPort, addresses this availability gap through a decentralised, subscription-based oxygen-as-a-service model.
Speaking on a recent webinar, representatives from both organisations outlined how the compact, plug-and-play cube – about the size of a washing machine – is designed to deliver medical-grade oxygen in remote or resource-limited settings.
“We really want something that can be done sooner. Because the sooner we can start saving lives the better,” said Jessica Starck, Chief Operating Officer at LeanMed. “The O2 Cube answers all of those barriers.”
The model targets oxygen delivery at primary and secondary healthcare levels, where infrastructure constraints, logistical hurdles, staffing gaps, and a lack of operational data often make conventional PSA plants impractical.
Described as a “micro-PSA plant,” the cube consumes just 1,200 watts – most of it from the oxygen concentrator – and runs entirely on solar power and battery storage for up to 12 hours daily.
The company claims that installation is simple, and the interface is designed to be accessible. “You press three buttons: one to start the concentrator, one for the filling station, and one to begin filling. That’s it,” said Starck.
Each cube automatically fills cylinders to 2,000 PSI, includes a real-time oxygen purity monitor, and logs performance data that can be accessed remotely. It also shuts off if purity drops below 90% or battery levels fall too low.
“Cylinders are a way to store sunlight,” said Starck. “You fill them during the day, and you’ve got a reliable backup.”
While LeanMed provides the hardware, HealthPort oversees deployment and daily operations via a subscription model. Instead of purchasing equipment, hospitals subscribe to a service that includes oxygen supply, clinician training, maintenance, and bedside delivery.
“Oxygen just becomes a ready-to-go part of care,” said Dr Aishat Adeniji, HealthPort co-founder. Facilities are billed per cylinder or through usage-based contracts, allowing them to avoid upfront capital expenditure and to better forecast costs. The model is geared towards smaller hospitals that often fall outside traditional supply networks.
HealthPort reports that oxygen use often increases significantly once facilities adopt the model. “We’ve seen a four- to fivefold increase in demand at many of the hospitals we serve,” said Adeniji. “The need was always there, it just wasn’t being met.”
Increased availability, combined with better diagnostics such as pulse oximetry, has supported faster treatment and reduced patient transfers. According to the Every Breath Counts coalition, one in five hospitalised patients in LMICs requires oxygen, driven by respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, malaria complications, neonatal hypoxaemia, and chronic lung disease.
LeanMed also maintains dedicated WhatsApp groups for each unit, with regular calls to assist local technicians.
“Too often in LMICs, equipment is donated and then fails due to lack of follow-up or parts,” said Starck. “We’re committed to avoiding that cycle.”
HealthPort provides daily biomedical rounds, monitors for leaks, stocks spare parts, and uses operational data to predict when maintenance is needed.
Over 40 O2 Cubes are now in operation across Nigeria, with others deployed in Uganda and soon Tanzania. LeanMed plans to expand manufacturing capacity within Africa, while HealthPort is pursuing government partnerships, including a pilot in Edo State in Nigeria.
While the cubes are well-suited to smaller facilities and last-mile contexts, they cannot match the volume output of large-scale PSA plants or liquid oxygen systems, which remain the backbone of urban or tertiary hospital supply chains.
Still, in areas where infrastructure is limited or unreliable, the technology offers a compact, easy-to-install alternative.
“At the core of what we do is making sure clinicians can do their best work,” said Adeniji. “Any time a patient walks into one of our partner facilities, oxygen should be there – reliably, affordably, and ready to save lives.”
