Obsolete medical devices contribute massively to our earth’s growing levels of toxic waste. One major cause of this is the donation system which brings commercial healthcare tools from first-world suppliers to lower-income countries for secondhand use.

Numerous flaws in this donation supply chain can be identified as reasons for excessive waste. In fact, many contributing issues occur before items are even donated.

PROblem

SolidWorks

Keyshot

Illustrator

Photoshop

Rapid Prototyping

skills

Use research and interviews with professionals to back up design choices

Design for a closed-loop production system, considering materials and processes to further minimize waste

Generate prototypes of later concepts to gather feedback and make improvements regarding usability, ergonomics and function

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RESEARCH

Medical Device Donations

Autoclaves

Inventory data from 15 developing countries spanning the Americas, Africa, and Southeast Asia over the years 1986–2010 shows that tabletop autoclaves and other sterilizing machines tend to be out-of-service at one of the highest rates.

This data accounts for 112,040 pieces of medical equipment, 93% from the developing world.

What is an autoclave?

Comparable to a pressure cooker, or a high-intensity dishwasher, an autoclave generates enough pressure and heat to create steam, which is then used to sanitize contaminated surgical instruments and other biohazardous tools for reuse in a medical setting.