Designing Medical Technology

Imagine Living in a place where the treatment you need is unavailable or too far away for you to walk and you don’t have transportation. These are examples of challenges patients in Tanzania face every day. The Designing Medical Technology for the Developing World Creative Inquiry, led by bioengineering associate professors Dr. John DesJardins and Dr. Delphine Dean, is working hard to make it easier for Tanzanians to receive the treatment they desperately need by designing devices made with relatively inexpensive materials which can be maintained in Tanzania. Current devices include a glucose meter for diabetics devised to use strips printed from an ink jet printer, a microbe sensor to test water and blood for bacteria and an automated system for delivering oxygen to infants without the need to constantly hand pump. These are just a few of the devices the Creative Inquiry has designed since its origin five years ago.

Beginning with three students, this Creative Inquiry has come a long way, accumulating many more members and completing numerous projects. Students in the Creative Inquiry do not have to be bioengineering majors, and the group prides themselves in having students from a variety of different majors. “Many students are attracted to a specific CI because of what they might want to do in their future careers; whether it is medical device design, materials analysis, international mission work, or medical school, each student brings these future passions with them into the project,” DesJardins said.

Students have the opportunity to travel to Tanzania over the summer to present their designs to hospital officials. While in Tanzania, the students also assist with repairing medical equipment. Not only do they get first-hand experience in the environment where their devices are used, but also they have the chance to immerse themselves in a rich culture that is completely different from their own. The group has experienced Tanzania through safaris and traveling to the beautiful island of Zanzibar.

“Through this Creative Inquiry I have been given the once in a lifetime chance to travel to Tanzania to fix medical equipment and see the need for our designs firsthand. The firsthand experience has inspired me to become a doctor.” Sarah Stafford, junior bioengineering major, said.

One of the dire problems in Tanzania is the lack of working medical devices. Countries like the United States donate equipment to Tanzania, but after some time they run out of supplies or the equipment breaks down. Often the staff are unable to order more supplies or are not familiar enough with the equipment to fix it, so the device just sits in the corner unused. Since many Tanzanians have limited budgets, they must recreate their own versions of medical devices from the materials that are available to them. The team works with Tanzanian collaborators to create a design that is affordable and can be made in-country. This is a triple advantage for Tanzanians because they get the medical devices they need, they can produce them and they keep the profits in the community