Powerfree Education and Technology
Powerfree Education and Technology’s pulse oximeter is used non-invasively to measure blood oxygen levels. The device works by shining light of different wavelengths through the skin and reports the percentage of oxygen. It can be used to monitor oxygen administration to newborn infants with respiratory complications and to injured or ill children and adults. The pulse oximeter is also adequate for oxygen monitoring in surgeries involving general anesthesia. PET’s pulse oximeter will be manufactured by EMCO and the digital OEM module manufactured by Nonin. It is not yet available on the market but more information can be found on the PET website.

There are many drugs available on the market to prevent bleeding after giving birth (postpartum haemorrhage). However, current products are poorly suited to transportation, storage or administration in resource-poor countries. The drug of choice for treatment of postpartum haemorrhage is oxytocin, which is given via injection. This presents complications in developing countries, where it is often not possible to provide sterile equipment, clean water or trained medical personnel during childbirth. Also, the current injectable formulation needs electricity for refrigerated (cold-chain storage) conditions to prevent drug degradation and hence maintain drug efficacy.

Blood transfusions in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia are critically important. The low standard of living and malnutrition in these countries leads to high frequency of anemia, particularly in children and women. According to World Health Organization (WHO) 30 to 40% of women in sub-Saharan Africa have anemia and about 25% of postpartum deaths in women are related to obstetrical hemorrhages. While blood transfusions are essential, blood safety remains a major problem in the developing world. One way to make an immediate impact in improving safety of blood transfusions is to develop assays for rapid and inexpensive screening of donated blood.

Hemorrhage is the cause of more than one-third of maternal deaths. A lack of transfusable blood compounds and exacerbates this problem. Hemacon, an early-stage high technology medical devices company, has developed new innovative technology based on hollow micro fibers that allows for the immediate separation of blood, in even the most remote of locations and without the need for electricity. The system works purely with gravity in the company's ProBlood unit. This makes it possible to establish mini Blood Banks in even the most remote of maternity clinics and impact dramatically on the maternal mortality statistics at these locations.

Pneumonia is a major killer of infants and children in lower income settings. Antibiotics are often the only treatment because oxygen therapy is simply out of reach for the majority of the population. With an extremely affordable oxygen therapy device, the Inspire team is looking to change this. (Inspire Medical) [http://inspiremedical.org], a team at Stanford University, has created a low-cost breathing assistant for the treatment of pneumonia and other forms of respiratory distress. The team has spun out its own organization called Inspire Medical . The usual treatment, Bubble CPAP, relies on pressurized oxygen and is expensive and dangerous to use in rural areas.

Dr. Ashish Jain, of Hindu Rau Hospital in Delhi, India, has developed an improvised bubble CPAP device that relies solely on an oxygen source, water, and parts commonly found in neonatal intensive care units across India. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices are tools that treat respiratory distress syndrome resulting from lung immaturity in preterm infants. It is simpler and less invasive than mechanical ventilation, which places a tube in the trachea, potentially causing damage to infants' airways. In the developing world, CPAP is a resource currently largely untapped because they are expensive, require many resources (oxygen, electricity), and consist of individual parts that are difficult to acquire.

The West Wireless Health Institute has developed Sense4Baby, an electronic system that can measure fetal heart rate and uterine contractions. In contrast to traditional means of fetal monitoring which involve frequent trips to the doctor or being tethered to a hospital bed, the prototype enables users to monitor maternal and fetal wellbeing anytime and anywhere. The tool is also significantly more cost effective. Sense4Baby is easy to use and portable, and users can view the data anywhere cellular or internet service exists.

West Wireless is working on a complete kit for monitoring eclampsia and pre-eclampsia. The kit is intended to address the needs of women with high risk pregnancies particularly in low income countries and remote populations.