Surgibox Explained

Type:Surgical device
Inventor:Debbie Lin Teodorescu
Manufacturer:Surgibox Inc.
Url:https://www.surgibox.com/

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.

History

Surgibox was invented by Debbie Lin Teodorescu while working in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, who saw the need to perform urgent surgical procedures without access to an operating theater and sterile operating environment.

Design & Function

The patented Surgibox design is used primarily for abdominal, chest, pelvic and orthopedic surgical procedures. It is designed to be portable.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

The Surgibox enclosure keeps the sterile space well within the safety limits of operating theaters and also protects healthcare workers from body fluids.[6]

Awards

Notes and References

  1. News: Newey. Sarah. 2019-06-08. UK funded inflatable operating theatre set to revolutionise emergency surgery. en-GB. The Telegraph. 2021-10-26. 0307-1235.
  2. News: Beck. Melinda. 2016-09-26. The Challenge of Health-Care Innovation in Developing Nations. en-US. Wall Street Journal. 2021-10-26. 0099-9660.
  3. Web site: SurgiBox Operating Room in a Backpack . 2022-11-02 . Creating Hope in Conflict . en-US.
  4. Web site: Genius Inflatable Operating Theatre Fits in a Backpack So Surgery Can Be Performed Anywhere . 2022-11-22 . Global Citizen . en.
  5. Web site: Inflatable Operating Room Could Bring Safe Surgery to Front Lines . 2021-10-30 . www.nationaldefensemagazine.org . en.
  6. Design of an ultraportable surgical enclosure for low resource environments. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 2018. Thesis. Sally A.. Miller. 1721.1/115652.
  7. Web site: 2018-09-23. Design Museum's annual awards offer a glimpse into the world of tomorrow. 2021-10-26. Channel 4 News. en-GB.
  8. Web site: Harvard i-lab honors student innovators - The Boston Globe. 2021-10-26. BostonGlobe.com. en-US.
  9. Web site: The Story of Surgibox. 2021-10-26. NECN. en-US.