Original Ideas - Week One

Our group started by researching what developing countries need most. We all went online, read articles, talked to people we knew who had traveled, and came up with this list:

Medical Needs of Third World Countries:

  • Clean water
  • Sanitation/ Sterilization
  • Prosthetic and walking disability
  • Oxygen supplies
  • Faster, more accurate diagnosing (app/website)
  • Mosquito control

 We wanted a project that would have an original solution and that was obtainable given our supply and time constraints. Clean water and Mosquito nets are very important, but we felt has been tackled many times. 

Mission:
Sanitation in developing country's small hospitals is a serious problem. Blood spills and other fluids are not always properly cleaned. Doctors will not always wear gloves and clean scrubs. Equipment is not always sterilized. Because of this many hospitals are disease-ridden and dangerous places. Aids and other viruses will thrive in these clinics because of the lack of sterilization 
That is what our team is going to change. We plan to make an AFFORDABLE, LOW-MAINTENANCE, PRACTICAL devise that will clean medical instruments properly. 

Early Design: 
We bounced the idea of an autoclave around. It would work by heating water in a closed container to reach high temperatures and pressures that sterilize the tools. Preliminary designs used solar power to heat the reservoir making the autoclave self-sustaining. However, after consulting Dr. Wheatley and evaluating the safety concerns with pressure cookers we ruled out as a method we could use.

The Design: 

Dry heat sterilization has a similar concept but could be done with less materials. This design would solar powered. there would be glass enclosing a reflective insulated container. inside the container needs to get to 300F  so must have a large area for light to come in but a thin depth to minimize the volume. It will be slower than the autoclave but more cost-efficient and is it is large enough it will be more effective. The mechanical design is simple but will work well. 



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