Tempo, low-Cost Pulse Oximeter
Patients undergoing surgical anesthesia in developing nations experience mortality rates 100-1000 times those in developed nations, largely due to a lack of pulse oximeters, essential medical devices that monitor patients’ blood oxygenation levels. Their universal implementation is a World Health Organization global health priority, but cost and other barriers remain.
This novel pulse oximeter was thus designed by the author and his biomedical design team, BioactiVT, with resource-limited constraints in mind. It incorporates a number of elements that address developing regions' unique challenges: solar panels eliminate dependency on a robust electrical grid and costly disposable batteries. Additionally, the design incorporates removable contact pieces that can be boiled to provide an alternative to more inaccessible chemical sanitation methods. Most importantly, the final product is projected to cost only $100, far below current alternatives, and will have near-zero lifetime cost due to the aforementioned features. The author's work in designing and modeling the design is shown at left, and as Vice President of Project Implementation of BioactiVT, he is currently further investigating design for manufacture and methods of distributing these devices to healthcare facilities in developing regions. See the author's work on the team's business plan below for more details. |
Global Pulse Oximetry ProjectThe project's seminal document, the WHO's Global Pulse Oximetry Project background document, details many of the factors preventing access to pulse oximetry and served as a guide in the team's design:
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Awards
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