PROblem

skills

Obsolete medical devices contribute massively to our earth’s growing levels of toxic waste. One major cause of this is the donation system which brings commercial healthcare tools from first-world suppliers to lower-income countries for secondhand use.

Numerous flaws in this donation supply chain can be identified as reasons for excessive waste. In fact, many contributing issues occur before items are even donated.

SolidWorks

Keyshot

Illustrator

Photoshop

Rapid Prototyping

Use research and interviews with professionals to back up design choices

Design for a closed-loop production system, considering materials and processes to further minimize waste

Generate prototypes of later concepts to gather feedback and make improvements regarding usability, ergonomics and function

RESEARCH

Skip to Design Solution

Medical Device Donations

Prominent Barriers

1

2

3

4

What challenges do low-income countries face when acquiring and maintaining functional medical equipment?

What are the issues embedded in the current medical device donation system that result in excessive waste?

What causes devices to become more burdensome than helpful once they arrive at lower-income hospitals?

Mismatches between what is needed and what is received

Equipment arrives with wrong/missing parts, manuals/instructions missing or in incomprehensible languages, or requires power sources that are incompatible with hospital’s outlets, voltage capacity, etc.

Lack of adequate infrastructure, financing, and trained staff required for long-term maintenance

Often, there is a lack of trained staff who can operate/maintain/repair donated items, putting them out of service quicker.

Trouble disposing of unusable equipment

Unsustainable donations become waste, but lower-income healthcare centers often don’t have an established process or dedicated funding for proper disposal. The overflow of unusable items becomes a burden, and devices pile up within the halls and patient rooms, litter the streets and villages, or become toys for children.

Limited access to information around the world leaves donors unsure of which contributions are helpful

Insufficient information on the global supply and demand for donations, including types and countries involved, leaves everyone involved uncertain of their role and impact in the donation system.

Statistics of Medical Device Donation

Autoclaves

Inventory data from 15 developing countries spanning the Americas, Africa, and Southeast Asia over the years 1986–2010 shows that tabletop autoclaves and other sterilizing machines tend to be out-of-service at one of the highest rates.

This data accounts for 112,040 pieces of medical equipment, 93% from the developing world.

Ideal Donation System Based on Existing Barriers

What is an autoclave?

Comparable to a pressure cooker, or a high-intensity dishwasher, an autoclave generates enough pressure and heat to create steam, which is then used to sanitize contaminated surgical instruments and other biohazardous tools for reuse in a medical setting.