Engineering:Surgibox
| Type | Surgical device |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Debbie Lin Teodorescu |
| Manufacturer | Surgibox Inc. |
| Website | https://www.surgibox.com/ |
Surgibox is a portable inflatable operating theater[1][2] designed to provide a safe and sterile surgical environment for use in settings such as disaster relief areas, humanitarian efforts, and remote combat zones.
History
Surgibox was invented by Debbie Lin Teodorescu while working in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake,[1] who saw the need to perform urgent surgical procedures without access to an operating theater and sterile operating environment.
Design & Function
The patented Surgibox design[3] is used primarily for abdominal, chest, pelvic and orthopedic surgical procedures.[1] It is designed to be portable.[4]
There are three parts in Surgibox, a plastic bubble, a control module and a battery pack. Surgibox is inflated with HEPA using solar power and uses renewable batteries. It weighs less than 5 kilograms and can be transported in a 30-litre backpack.[5]
Surgibox sticks to human skin using adhesives. The skin and the plastic bubble form a sterile space, which allows surgeons to operate through entry ports on the side of the device. The plastic bubble is single-use format.[6][1]
The Surgibox enclosure keeps the sterile space well within the safety limits of operating theaters and also protects healthcare workers from body fluids.[7]
Awards
- United Kingdom Design Museum Design Of the Year finalist[3]
- Harvard Innovations Labs' President's Challenge Grand Prize[8]
- MassChallenge winner[9]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Newey, Sarah (2019-06-08). "UK funded inflatable operating theatre set to revolutionise emergency surgery" (in en-GB). The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/climate-and-people/uk-funded-inflatable-operating-theater-fits-rucksack-set-revolutionise/.
- ↑ Beck, Melinda (2016-09-26). "The Challenge of Health-Care Innovation in Developing Nations" (in en-US). Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-challenge-of-health-care-innovation-in-developing-nations-1474855561.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Design Museum's annual awards offer a glimpse into the world of tomorrow" (in en-GB). 2018-09-23. https://www.channel4.com/news/design-museums-annual-awards-offer-a-glimpse-into-the-world-of-tomorrow.
- ↑ "SurgiBox Operating Room in a Backpack" (in en-US). https://humanitariangrandchallenge.org/innovator/surgibox/.
- ↑ "Genius Inflatable Operating Theatre Fits in a Backpack So Surgery Can Be Performed Anywhere" (in en). https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/uk-aid-surgibox-inflatable-surgery-dfid-/.
- ↑ "Inflatable Operating Room Could Bring Safe Surgery to Front Lines" (in en). https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2018/10/11/inflatable-operating-room-could-bring-safe-surgery-to-front-lines.
- ↑ Miller, Sally A. (2018). Design of an ultraportable surgical enclosure for low resource environments (Thesis thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. hdl:1721.1/115652.
- ↑ "Harvard i-lab honors student innovators - The Boston Globe" (in en-US). https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/05/04/harvard-lab-honors-student-innovators/2gw9iLWSGtmZaVTfKXZtYM/story.html.
- ↑ "The Story of Surgibox" (in en-US). https://www.necn.com/on-air/as-seen-on/the-story-of-surgibox_necn/242473/.
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