Department of Biomedical Engineering
Tulane University
500 Boggs Center
New Orleans, LA 70118
http://www.bmen.tulane.edu
Department Chair: Donald P. Gaver
Supervising Professors: David A. Rice
rice@tulane.edu
http://www.tulane.edu/~rice
ToughKlave: A Modular and Portable Autoclave
Healthcare providers in resource-low areas often operate without properly sterilized equipment
or working surfaces. Many times, surgery is the only solution in preventing patient death due
to disasters, violence, pregnancy-related complications, accidents, infections, and congenital
defects. WHO estimates 500,000 women die from pregnancy and childbirth-related complications
that could be rectified through surgical intervention. Despite high demands for surgery, less
than 5% of surgical procedures performed worldwide are performed in developing countries due to
low capacity, inadequate technology, and low accessibility to natural resources that provide
for safe and efficient surgical environments.
Every year one-fifth of all surgeries result in post-operative infections, primarily from
improperly sterilized equipment. Current methods of surgical sterilization include autoclaves,
chemical sterilants, and boiling water. Rural clinics in developing countries provide primary
care for approximately 3 billion people worldwide, but over half of them do not have access to
electricity, so they travel to central hospitals that have autoclaves, usually a day-long bus
ride away. Chemical sterilization is a complex process that chances user error, resulting in
improperly sterilized equipment. Boiling water, while the cheapest method, does not kill 100%
of microbes present on surfaces.
We propose a novel, low-maintenance method for sterilizing medical instruments that harnesses
heat from solid fuel. Our technology would afford healthcare workers with safe, reliable, and
portable autoclaves independent of electricity or other fuel sources. The autoclave's
portability and durability make the device accessible to point-of-care facilities in developing
countries, in military settings, or at sites of natural disasters. The design criteria for our
device include that it does not require an external source of power (i.e., electricity, fire,
etc.), can be reusable (whether by recharging or heating), is compact and portable (easily
transported through any terrain), has an indicator showing completion of sterilization, and
can kill all bacteria and viruses in a relatively short time span.
Our design is the option to use alternative fuel sources. This device makes distribution and
transport easy because all the parts necessary for operation would be packed in a single casing.
The design includes a steam generating chamber, removable surgical trays, with places to hold
surgical instruments, and a thin fold-up surgical surface. The design is well-insulated and
materials are low-cost and low-maintenance. With a reusable phase change reaction, there would be
no need to consumption of fuel (though this option is not yet available) or purchase of new
sterilizing equipment; thus, a one-time, low-cost investment. We are currently working on
improving our overall efficiency. To our knowledge, such a similar device does not exist and
the production of such a device has potential to greatly improve the statistics for surgical
success in developing countries.