Development of a Low-Cost Electronically-Controlled Gravity-Feed (ECGF) Infusion Set

Improving safety of infusion is a neglected component of child health in humanitarian contexts. Data from the FEAST trial estimates that over 10% of children admitted to East African hospitals are in shock and require immediate infusion therapy. Approximately 11-12% of these children die, often within hours of admission. Existing infusion sets on the Ugandan market are imported and cost between 2500-6000 USD, making them incredibly expensive to procure and maintain. Equipment acquired through donor assistance is inappropriate for use in low resource settings because of an oversight on important parameters such as calibration, voltage and frequency ratings, availability of mains power supply, ease of accessing spare parts and the lack of appropriate training at both the user and hospital technician levels. With a nurse to patient ratio of 1:11,000, manual operation also proves problematic requiring a well-trained clinician to infer the rate of flow. The Electronically Controlled Gravity Feed Infusion set features dynamic flow control and has been designed for safety, accuracy, ease of use and maintenance at 3% the cost of an imported device with similar functionality. It is an add-on device and is applicable for use with all existing drip sets. A hybrid (mains and solar) battery charging bed caters for rural off-grid settings. Furthermore, clinicians will be able to attend to other high priority healthcare needs, with the overall effect of improved patient care and safety.