Tool/Machine

Augmented infant resuscitator: transitioning a novel behavior change innovation to drive newborn ventilation enhancement to improve newborn health outcomes at birth

Evaluation of an Infusion Monitoring Device as a cost-effective way to increase safe access to oxytocin and magesium sulfate

Measurement of Impact of Hemafuse, an autologous blood transfusion device

Xing Xie of the Georgia Institute of Technology in the U.S. will test whether super-absorbent polymers in sample tubes can improve the accuracy of diagnostics by absorbing molecules like DNA and viruses from liquid samples such as blood, and protecting them during transport to the laboratory. Normally, blood and urine samples degrade over time, particularly when they are exposed to heat or cold. This makes the subsequent diagnostic result unreliable.

The innovators are tackling the global problem of unsafe drinking water, which kills millions of people per year, especially young children. The proposed solution of UpWater, is not just a water-treatment technology. UpWater endeavors to give communities a jumpstart on their paths toward long-term health betterment, by integrating appropriate innovations, social transformation and sustainable business models. For more information, visit www.upwater.org.

Rice University, the University of Malawi, Baylor College of Medicine, the Ministry of Health, and 3rd Stone Design will partner to: (1) produce clinic-ready bCPAP systems and submit paperwork for regulatory approval; (2) implement a novel campaign to educate mothers about the availability of life-saving treatment for RDS and to overcome fear of treatments involving tubing and oxygen; (3) scale-up bCPAP country-wide to all central and district hospitals in Malawi; train nursing, clinical and technical staff to use and maintain bCPAP; track impact on neonatal mortality from RDS; and (4) perf

PremieBreathe has built a functional infant breathing aid for $450, one tenth the price of commercial models. The device, a humidified high flow nasal cannula (HHFNC), is the gold standard of non-invasive neonatal respiratory care in high-income countries. With the support of Saving Lives at Birth, PremieBreathe will conduct initial trials at Ayder Referral Hospital in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and identify design, manufacturing, and distribution partners to prepare for scaled production and dissemination.

There is international consensus that syringe pumps are an essential medical device to support care of mothers and newborns at district hospitals. Yet, they are often unavailable in low-resource settings because of high cost, technical complexity, and lack of brand name consumables. The project's idea is to scale AutoSyp, a low cost, low power, syringe pump in maternity and neonatal wards of hospitals in Malawi.

PATH's novel infusion pump, the RELI Delivery System, was designed to address many of the barriers surrounding access to infusion pumps in LRS: it does not require electricity or a battery, is inexpensive to manufacture and operate, does not require expensive consumables, and has a simple user interface. We will develop a functional prototype and related job aids to share with stakeholders.

Preterm babies often suffer from apneas. In low-resource settings where nurses are few, these apneas can often go unnoticed or detected late, which could lead to irreversible injury to the newborn. APNEBOOT is a wearable battery powered boot device, which detects apneas by monitoring blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate. The device sounds and lights an alarm for caretaker attention and stimulates the foot sole to automatically reverse an episode of central apnea.