Design of a Low-Cost Autoclave for Developing World Health Clinics

Incidence of surgical site infection is 2–5 times higher in developing nations as compared to developed nations. A low-cost, easy to use autoclave was designed to address the unique technical, behavioral, and market challenges present in rural, health posts of the developing world. A thorough stakeh...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tao, Gregory D, Cho, Hallie Sue, Frey, Daniel, Winter, Amos G.
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/109238
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9886-7512
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4151-0889
Description
Summary:Incidence of surgical site infection is 2–5 times higher in developing nations as compared to developed nations. A low-cost, easy to use autoclave was designed to address the unique technical, behavioral, and market challenges present in rural, health posts of the developing world. A thorough stakeholder analysis was performed very early in the design process to address non-technical needs for sustained user adoption as well as manufacturability and scalability. Twelve partnering clinics in Nepal trialed these autoclaves from July until December 2012. Usage statistics and follow-up observations highlight important factors for successful adoption. These findings were used to improve the autoclave design. The goal of this paper is to detail a case study and methodology to incorporate multiple stakeholder needs into the early design process.