Saturday, March 20, 2010

A Cheap, Portable Wound-Healing Device

Technology Review has a very fascinating article about a medical device used to speed wound healing.

At first glance, this device does not look like a medical device. However, it's a bellows pump designed to generate negative pressure on a wound. According to the article: Negative-pressure devices, which act like a vacuum over the bandaged wound, have become a central part of wound therapy.

Current devices are heavy and expensive. Plus, they require electricity, so we're talking about a ton of batteries if you're in a crisis area like Haiti. Maybe you've seen a wound VAC in a hospital. You wouldn't want to carry that thing around for several miles.

Sometimes, medical innovation requires us to go "low tech." As we consider the medical needs of developing nations, it's critical that new innovations are designed to be practical in such economic climates. 

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