Rice 360At the end of 2006 an estimated 2.3 million children were living with HIV/AIDS; 2 million of them were in sub-Saharan Africa. A significant problem in effectively treating pediatric AIDS patients in Africa is that the liquid anti-retroviral medications for young children are must be custom dosed based on the patient’s weight. To be safe and effective, a precise dose must be drawn up in a syringe and given consistently. Many children are cared for by elderly grandparents who may be illiterate, have poor eyesight, have poor manual dexterity, or lack understanding of why the correct dosage is important. These adults are often unable to accurately adhere to the complicated medicine dosing instructions. Thus, children do not always receive the optimal dose of medication, which can lead to medication resistance.
Appropriate Solution
| Medicine Dosing Device |
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To address this issue, a bioengineering senior design team, in collaboration with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), designed the Medicine Dosing Device, a pump that fits on most medication bottles and can be set to deliver a specific amount of medication. The clinician can change the dosage by .5 ml increments by adding or removing spacers located in the pump. Initial device testing was conducted in the U.S. to asses the ease of use in the elderly population. A prototype version of the pump was field tested in Malawi by a team supported by Beyond Traditional Borders. The design team was guided and mentored by Dr. Maria Oden, Dr. Gordon Schutze, Dr. Catherine Ambrose, and Dr. Mark Kline.
Current Status
Recent field tests conducted in Malawi yielded extremely positive results. The most resounding question was: “When will it be available?” We are improving the design based on the feedback received from the field. Patent applications for this device have been filed. Options for commercializing this device are being explored.
