Frugal Mechanical Washer for Rural Indian Hospitals
Graduation Project, TU Delft, The Netherlands
For the entire project information and research view my Graduation Report in the TU Delft Repository.
Project Overview
Laparoscopy is a very significant method of surgery in low-income rural hospitals to reduce post-operative infections and mortality. But this is possible only if the laparoscopic instruments are clean and sterile. Sterile processing practices in rural India are rudimentary and surgical instruments are hand cleaned hence, 100% safe and sterile instruments cannot be guaranteed as compared to standardized outcomes in high-income hospitals.
Vision
Enhance the laparoscopic instrument cleanliness and reducing the rural nurse’s workload by conceptualizing a frugal mechanical washer for cleaning laparoscopic instruments in rural India.
Laparoscopic instruments with traces of blood, patient tissue, and rust found in rural Indian hospitals. Contaminants detected after the sterilization step.
Outer view of the Frugal Mechanical Washer Disinfector.
Inner view of the Frugal Mechanical Washer Disinfector.
"There can be cleaning without sterilization but never sterilization without cleaning."
-rural Indian Nurse
View of the loaded cassette being inserted in the washer chamber.
Detailed view of the control panel.
Size of the frugal mechanical washer compared to the average Indian female.
View of the closed cassette loaded with dismantled laparoscopic instruments.
View of the closed cassette loaded with dismantled laparoscopic instruments.
User Scenario
Envisioned Reprocessing Journey
Validation
Laparoscopic instruments were stained with artificial blood and allowed to dry to simulate the worst-case scenario of instruments being left to dry after surgery. The graspers were then soaked and brushed in a 3 rotor brush setup. The before and after images as seen under a microscope show the efficacy of this system.
Laparoscopic Grasper before brushing.
Laparoscopic Grasper after brushing.
Special thanks to @Yaman Gupta for the 3D models and renders.