Surgibox is a portable inflatable operating theater[1][2] designed to provide a safe and sterile surgical environment for use in settings such as disaster relief areas, humanitarian efforts, and remote combat zones.
| Type | Surgical device |
|---|---|
| Inventor | Debbie Lin Teodorescu |
| Manufacturer | Surgibox Inc. |
| Website | https://www.surgibox.com/ |
History
editSurgibox was invented by Debbie Lin Teodorescu while working in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake,[1] who saw the need to perform urgent surgical procedures without access to an operating theater and sterile operating environment.
Design & Function
editThe patented Surgibox design[3] is used primarily for abdominal, chest, pelvic and orthopedic surgical procedures.[1] It is designed to be portable.[4]
There are three parts in Surgibox, a plastic bubble, a control module and a battery pack. Surgibox is inflated with HEPA using solar power and uses renewable batteries. It weighs less than 5 kilograms and can be transported in a 30-litre backpack.[5]
Surgibox sticks to human skin using adhesives. The skin and the plastic bubble form a sterile space, which allows surgeons to operate through entry ports on the side of the device. The plastic bubble is single-use format.[6][1]
The Surgibox enclosure keeps the sterile space well within the safety limits of operating theaters and also protects healthcare workers from body fluids.[7]
Awards
edit- UK Design Museum Design Of the Year finalist[3]
- Harvard Innovations Labs' President's Challenge Grand Prize[8]
- MassChallenge winner[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Newey, Sarah (2019-06-08). "UK funded inflatable operating theatre set to revolutionise emergency surgery". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ Beck, Melinda (2016-09-26). "The Challenge of Health-Care Innovation in Developing Nations". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ a b "Design Museum's annual awards offer a glimpse into the world of tomorrow". Channel 4 News. 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "SurgiBox Operating Room in a Backpack". Creating Hope in Conflict. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
- ^ "Genius Inflatable Operating Theatre Fits in a Backpack So Surgery Can Be Performed Anywhere". Global Citizen. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
- ^ "Inflatable Operating Room Could Bring Safe Surgery to Front Lines". www.nationaldefensemagazine.org. Retrieved 2021-10-30.
- ^ Miller, Sally A. (2018). Design of an ultraportable surgical enclosure for low resource environments (Thesis thesis). Massachusetts Institute of Technology. hdl:1721.1/115652.
- ^ "Harvard i-lab honors student innovators - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "The Story of Surgibox". NECN. Retrieved 2021-10-26.