Need for Hand-Crank Powered Otoscope in Rural Areas
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Date
2010-05-17
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Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Abstract
The need for affordable medical devices is paramount for improved health care in rural areas around the globe. Specifically for child and maternal health, adequate access to health care professionals and equipment is essential for maintaining and even raising the quality of care. Otoscopes are an integral part of a standard medical examination. These devices are for examining the ear canal of patients. Children are especially susceptible to ear infections given the anatomy of the Eustachian tubes and otoscopes are useful for detection and subsequent treatment. The key problem in rural areas for otoscope dissemination is the access to power sources. Whether powered by battery of wall-mounted socket, powering the LED is necessary for functionality. Using a hand-crank power generator can remove this problem completely. A manual power generator will give a renewable and unlimited power source for the otoscope. The method for alleviating this need is to have a hand-powered otoscope using a magnet to power the LED. This method was used and, though it was validated, found to be inadequate for the purposes of a useable medical device.
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Keywords
developing world healthcare, economic healthcare technology, alternative power supply, hand-crank, otoscope