An update from team Zoom!
The last couple of weeks we have worked with the team to make the provisional prototypes that we can bring to Nigeria, to demonstrate and improve them.
To make a diagnosis, nowadays a microscope is being used. A microscope is an expensive machine, expertise is needed to operate and the workload of operating is high. A lot of local healthcare centres don’t have the means for this. To develop a cheap diagnostic tool, we looked at ways to simplify the microscope. For this we made a simple prototype which exists of 4 wooden sheets, some nuts, bolts and an illumination system. These parts are meant to simulate the stand of the microscope. For the optical part of the microscope (the optical part) we looked at the possibilities of a smartphone. If an extra lens is stuck onto the camera of the phone, the image will enlarge so that the schistosoma eggs can be detected in urine. After these two parts are combined, you will have a cheap, available microscope!
To optimise the product, we packed our prototypes, our good mood, some fancy clothes and we can go to Nigeria!
Meanwhile, we have been in Nigeria for a week now! We spent the first week in Ibadan. Here, the university of Ibadan is situated with whom we have worked together. We worked for the week at the faculty of Public Health and Environment. In this week we looked at the different layers of the public health care system. We demonstrated our prototype to ministers of health but also to local primary healthcare centres. These are the lowest tier of the healthcare system with almost no medical equipment. The overall opinion of the product was positive. The people were enthusiastic and could also see benefit of implementation of the product. The week was very helpful and gave many insights of the different stakeholders. These insights can be implemented for further development.
Next week we will go to Lagos to work collaborate with the technical university to make a manufacturing map for the next steps of the project.
We’ll keep you updated!
