Via MIT News: Simple suction can do wonders on open wounds, dramatically speeding their healing process. But the cost of doing it in the developing world is often prohibitive. And if they do have them, the machines require power, which is often unreliable. A potential solution has been developed at MIT by Danielle Zurovcik -- for about $3 each.
The tragedy in Haiti earlier this year gave her an opportunity to test the science under the kind of conditions her device would need to endure outside of a Cambridge laboratory. The low-tech hack won the day, it seems, which could have enormous repercussions. Someone let the folks at TED know Danielle is might be on her way to their esteemed stage.
Earlier this semester, Zurovcik, who had been making plans for field tests of the patent-pending device at a rural clinic in Rwanda this fall, was asked by the nonprofit healthcare organization Partners in Health to take part in earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. She traveled there with a supply of 50 of the current version of the plastic, molded pumps, which cost about $3 each. (The only portable versions on the market today cost $100 a day just to rent, and must have their batteries recharged after about six hours.)
And it gets even better. She and her team have developed them with the goal of sustainability in mind, so they can be manufactured locally in many developing countries with existing machinery. She'll be in Rwanda this fall to put her plans into action. Bacteria beware.
I think you'd better email Danielle Zurovcik about that.
How do I get one?or 2 or 4?