Economic Health Care Technologies Design

Archive of student projects for the Design of Economic Health Care Technologies (580.469.01) class.

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    Need for Hand-Crank Powered Otoscope in Rural Areas
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Gupta, Anshuman
    The need for affordable medical devices is paramount for improved health care in rural areas around the globe. Specifically for child and maternal health, adequate access to health care professionals and equipment is essential for maintaining and even raising the quality of care. Otoscopes are an integral part of a standard medical examination. These devices are for examining the ear canal of patients. Children are especially susceptible to ear infections given the anatomy of the Eustachian tubes and otoscopes are useful for detection and subsequent treatment. The key problem in rural areas for otoscope dissemination is the access to power sources. Whether powered by battery of wall-mounted socket, powering the LED is necessary for functionality. Using a hand-crank power generator can remove this problem completely. A manual power generator will give a renewable and unlimited power source for the otoscope. The method for alleviating this need is to have a hand-powered otoscope using a magnet to power the LED. This method was used and, though it was validated, found to be inadequate for the purposes of a useable medical device.
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    Temperature Sensor for Safe Vaccine Storage
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Seo, Hyun-Sun
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    Infant Incubator Project: A low-cost, low-energy consumption solution for infant incubators in developing countries
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Donato, Kristin
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    A Rapid and Affordable Eye Diagnostic Camera
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Thakor, Nitish; Shah, Shivam
    Corneal disease is the second leading cause of blindness in the developing world. Over 314 million people are visually impaired and nearly 90% live in the developing world. Better diagnosis of corneal disease would decrease the number of blindness cases. Fluorescein sodium is often used to diagnose dry eye, corneal abrasions, corneal ulcers, and other afflictions. A diagnostic eye camera that could take naked and fluorescent images of the cornea would improve diagnostics in the developing world. A web camera with a USB 1.0 interface was adapted for fluorescent imaging. Blue LEDs covered in an additional blue-light filter and a yellow band-pass filter were used to provide optimal imaging. The resultant device has the ability to image any part of the human body, and fluorescently image the eye. The device can be bulk manufactured for approximately $10.88 and disseminated in the developing world with fluorescein sodium dye strips. Initial results show that the images provided by this device can be used accurately to diagnose many corneal diseases and some other ocular diseases as well.
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    Delivery Vehicle for Rapid Low-Cost Medical Infectious Disease Diagnostic Tests: Portable Paper Diagnostic Dispenser for Developing Countries
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Shi, Marlene
    Infectious diseases still plague much of the developing world. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV is critical for improved control and management allowing for targeted and effective treatment. The Whitesides Research Group led by George Whitesides, the Woodford L. and Ann A. Flowers University Professor at Harvard, has developed a low-cost paper based diagnostic test that follows the principles of microfludics using paper’s inherent channels and natural capillary action. The first application that the Whitesides paper diagnostic test will perform is liver toxicity screening. The printing method for these diagnostic tests will model the newspaper press print format for efficient and speedy production. The Whitesides Group intends the test results to be analyzed using telemedicine. Camera phones will transmit images of the test to a lab where a doctor or a computer can make a diagnosis. The key area that has not yet been explicitly defined is the method of packaging, distribution, and portability of the paper diagnostic test squares. The proposed paper diagnostic dispenser will make the tests portable which will increase access to diagnostic tools in the developing world. Heath care volunteers will be able to carry the tests in a simple container and dispense test squares as needed. This device increases the mobility of health care workers, requires little to no training to use, and facilitates the decentralization of health care services in developing countries.
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    Gated Incentive Spirometer
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Adeofe, Tolulade
    A spirometer is a medical apparatus used to measure the volume of air inspired and expired by the lungs. The spirometer has the ability to do several things such as record the amount of air that is breathed in and out over a specified amount of time and it can also be used to exercise the human diaphragm.
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    Combined thermometer/otoscope device providing dual functionality with no external power source for developing world hospitals
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Dorfman, Danielle
    Although the thermometer and the otoscope have been integral to medicine for decades, conditions in the developing world have prevented their effectiveness and limited their availability. However, these instruments are essential for conducting various medical procedures. First, a rise in temperature is one of the simplest indications that a patient may be sick. Many hospitals still use mercury-based thermometers that can break, potentially causing an additional health hazard. Liquid thermometers also require a longer time to read, which can delay diagnostics. Additionally, a quick survey of the ear is imperative for diagnosing potentially harmful ear infections. Therefore, otoscopes are also incredibly important in hospitals worldwide, especially because they can detect the onset of otitis media, which can lead to hearing loss, increased medical complications, and death. However, currently available otoscopes require batteries or an external power source, which are not ideal for conditions in developing world hospitals. Finally, these problems are often magnified in the developing world; therefore, the simplest tools can have the largest impact. By combining an otoscope with an infrared ear thermometer into a single instrument, a durable, inexpensive, and mercury-free device with dual functionality while requiring no external power source will be created for approximately under 7USD.
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    Wound Tracking on iPhone Report
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Kurtz, Gregory
    The application is a simple, portable, and useful iPhone application for the quick documentation and review of wounds and/or burns. The application provides the ability to create a database of patients, search through the patients, and use the built-in camera to take annotatable pictures to store with associated patients for later review. It was built to fill a documented need in the healthcare community. It was built and tested with Appleʼs iPhone SDK using Xcode.
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    Easy and Inexpensive Needle Remover
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) O'Grady, Mary
    There is evidence for the need of a more economic needle remover to reduce the volume of sharps waste in third world countries and lead to safer practices with sharps disposal. I have developed a low cost device that can attach to globally disseminated safety boxes and remove needles from syringes reducing the volume of sharps and encouraging safe disposal practices. My plans for dissemination of this technology include applying for grant money from NCIIA and The Global Fund for the manufacturing and packaging of the device for dissemination through the World Health Organization (WHO) to hospitals and clinics with safety boxes to adhere the device and instruct healthcare workers how to use it.
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    Hypertension Detector for Developing Countries
    (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 2010-05-17) Thakor, Nitish; Sanghvi, Harshad; Acharya, Soumyadipta; Jayaram, Gowri; Lee, Shin Rong; Trachtenberg, Matthew
    For low-income countries, hypertension is the leading cause of death. Preeclampsia, a disorder often characterized by high blood pressure, is the second leading killer of pregnant women globally. Preeclampsia can be treated cheaply and effectively but very few women receive appropriate prenatal care. There are many different devices to measure blood pressure but they are poorly suited for use in developing countries. Great care has to be taken to engineer a device that incorporates the human-factors involved while maintaining affordability. A prototype of a low-cost device engineered specifically for semi-literate volunteers in developing countries has been created. Preliminary testing has shown reliable hypertension detection and plans have been made for field testing in rural communities this August 2010 in Nepal.
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    An Alternative Infant Incubator
    (2010-05-19T14:53:26Z) Kawaji, Qingwen