Archive for the ‘’ Category
March 24, 2009
The past week, I had the opportunity to attend classes and speakers for an innovative course at MIT, D-Lab Health, taught by professor Jose Gomez-Marquez, who is also the program director of the Innovations for International Health (IIH) initiative. The multi-disciplinary course focuses on understanding global health challenges and designing medical technologies for these challenges through the lenses of engineering, physics, chemistry, biology, and economics.
The D-Lab Health class is very similar to the ETHOS course offered at UD, so it has been enlightening to see how a different University teaches students about the philosophy of appropriate technology in developing countries. My personal interest in global health and work with Salud del Sol make this class a perfect opportunity to learn from other students and professionals in the field and coincidentally, the D-Lab Health class is working with partner organizations in Nicaragua!
I spoke with Jose and his co-worker from IIH, Amit Srivastava about the scope of the field of global health. There are many pieces to issues of global health, including the large scale burden of the lack of infrastructure, the brain drain of medical professionals from developing countries to the US, poor training for community health workers, and the lack of appropriate diagnostic equipment. D-Lab Health educates students on the larger picture of challenges in global health, and then applies this knowledge to the research and design of innovative solutions to address these challenges.
During the classes that I was able to attend last week, the students were learning about complex medical devices, such as ultrasound machines and optometry instruments. The students were tasked with evaluating how these product designs could be altered to be more appropriate for use in developing countries, by asking questions about the parameters of the product design such as the cost of replaceable pieces and the training is required to use the devices.
Another class with D-Lab Health involved a trip to the Operating Room of Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, to experience the conditions of an operating room in a developed country. This trip at the OR gave a point of reference to compare the resource deprived healthcare settings of developing countries.
This week, the D-Lab Health students are traveling to Nicaragua to observe healthcare workers and patients in a field assessment of the challenges in health care equipment and delivery that these professionals face on a daily basis. The students will be bringing these challenges back to the D-Lab for the remaining part of the semester to develop a medical technology kit to address some of the underlying issues that the discover within the clinics. They will be traveling to different locations around the country, including Ocotal! Over the weekend, I was able to talk with the students and Jose about my experience living in Nicaragua last summer, everything from practical financial and travel advice to not leaving the country with out trying ron con pasas ice cream from the Eskimo man and having a cup of coffee from locals. Essential for truly experiencing the culture!
D-Lab Health branches from the over arching D-Lab course of MIT, which uses engineering design principals to improve the lives of the bottom billion in developing countries. Along with attending the D-Lab Health courses last week, I was also able to participate in a product design review for the D-Lab class. It was a brainstorming session for students working on a range of products, including a chlorine dispenser, a cell phone enabled baby scle, a portable hydro powered lantern, an energy storage solution for communities in Tibet,a strong maker to recycle plastic bags, and an interlocking stabilized soil block maker.
March 18, 2009
Tonight, March 18, Innovations for International Health (IIH) is hosting a lecture by Ryan Scott Bardsley, Systems Manager at the CIMIT Simulation Group at Mass General Hospital and researcher at IIH.
His lecture, “Medical Simulation and Training for the Developing World” will explore the convergence of open-source architectures, micro-controllers, pervasive connectivity, and affordable fabrication technologies that are poised to introduce medical simulation into poor countries. Leveraging systems he has developed for the U. S. Army for the past 10 years, he will discuss how a well-designed simulation infrastructure can serve as a powerful platform for deploying medical expertise, assessing provider competency, and adapting training resources to meet local medical needs. Medical simulation will be the fourth computing revolution to hit global health on the heels of low-cost computing, wireless telecommunications, and medical information systems.
The lecture will be held from 6:00-7:30pm at the MIT Museum, located at 265 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge, MA. For more information, please contact jfgm@mit.edu.
March 17, 2009
Managua, Nicaragua will host a regional meeting on Renewable Energy in Central America from March 18-20.
The meeting, called 13th Regional Forum: “Renewable Energy in Isolated Rural Locations in Central America,” is co-sponsored by Finland, Austria and the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, among others.
The objective of this confrence is “to disseminate successful experiences of the Central American region and the technologies used in the field of the rural energy in isolated areas using renewable energy sources, to increase the productivity and the quality of life of the rural communities that are not interconnected to the grid; including mechanisms of financing for this type of projects.”
Participants include, Ministries of Energy and Environment from the Central American System for Integration (SICA), international and regional institutions, NGO’s, academics, and private sector from Central America, Europe and others. Companies from Austria and Finland will attend the meeting and present their products and technologies applied to the use of these energy sources.
For more information on this conference and other endeavors of the Energy and Environmental Partnership of Central America, please visit, www.sica.int/energia or email info.aea@sica.net.
March 12, 2009
Design Lab Presentation
Update on Status of the Solar Autoclave and Sterilization Indicator
On February 13th the new design team currently working on the solar autoclave system presented the status of the project to their sponsors. Among the attendees of the presentation were Executive Director Lori Hanna, myself (Director of Product Research, Daniel Hensel), longtime sponsor Dr. Margaret Pinnell, and the ETHOS field team accompanying me to Sabana Grande, Nicaragua this summer. The presentation provided a brief overview of the project, the status of what they are working on now, and their plans for the immediate future. The members of the design team, those who presented, are Staci Grey, Christopher McGuinness, Ryan Smolik, Corey Vossler and Kyle Zeller.
To begin with, Lori and I were impressed with how obvious it was that the design team had carefully read through our own team’s work the previous semester. They are carefully and constructively criticizing our work and finding ways to improve the product wherever possible. The design team has essentially split up into three teams: two working on testing and modifying the pressure vessel, two finalizing the sterilization indicator design, and one looking at improving the system as a whole including the solar box cooker.
The students working on the solar autoclave pressure vessel reported that they had repeated the pressure tests performed by our previous team. They noted that they had a similar problem as we did with hydraulic fluid leaking through an end cap, as well as showed that the butyl rubber seal broke at 10psi, ending the testing. After testing, the team reported noticeable deformation in the bottom of the coffee can used as the cylindrical pressure vessel. They plan to improve the seal of the solar autoclave pressure vessel, use aluminum end caps instead of wood, paint the can with the black paint that is already used in Sabana Grande, and use lock nuts on one stationary end of the pressure vessel to reduce handling and hassle.
The work on the sterilization indicator has produced a nifty hourglass design that utilizes Polywax 2000 to show whether or not the proper sterilizing conditions have been maintained, and thus whether or not the instruments are sterile. US Sterilization standards dictate that, to reach sterilization, 121 degrees Celsius (250 degrees Fahrenheit) and 15psi must be held for 15 minutes. Therefore, the design team has devised an hourglass device that will contain an appropriate amount of wax such that when all the wax heats up, turns to a liquid and falls to the bottom chamber, the time and temperature have been reached. The team is working on mass balancing the design to determine the size and amount of wax needed, then testing can begin.
The team is on task and plan to order the materials needed for the final design and conduct testing, as well as manufacture the final sterilization indicator design. Lori and I reminded them that it is pertinent that we have a final working design by the end of this semester that I may take to Nicaragua with me for final testing and production rollout. I am urging them to try testing with water as well as to come up with a plan for testing that I may use while in Sabana Grande.
The design team will present again at their 2nd oral presentation Friday, March 13th at 8am. They will provide us with more updates and their plans for the remainder of the semester, and another update will be provided here on saluddelsol.org. Until next time!
La Paz y Salud,
Daniel J. Hensel
Director of Product Research
March 9, 2009
Thursday night, One.org along with other partner organizations hosted a showing of the documentary A Powerful Noise in 450 theaters across the nation. Following the film was a panel discussion about it that featured many people prominent in the women’s rights, social entrepreneurship, and global healthcare fields. The movie featured three women who are empowering other women in their communities for social change.
The experience was inspiring for me and Salud del Sol, as it reaffirmed the pertinence of the issues that our organization hopes to address. Themes such as appropriate development, the fight against infectious diseases, and women’s empowerment are all encompassed within our mission and objectives, and I am so glad to know that these themes are receiving such national and international attention and respect.
March 9, 2009
A recent article posted written by Marvin Lee, was posted on the New University web publication of the University of California, Irvine, about a lecture given last Friday (March 6) by Carol A. Dahl, Ph. D., director of Global Health Discovery team of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Health Program. Dr. Dhal’s lecture “Science and Technology Discovery to Meet Global Health Needs” stressed the need for affordable medical equipment diagnosis of diseases. The Henry Samueli School of Engineering hosted the event as part of the Biomedical Engineering Distinguished Lecturer Series a the University of California, Irvine.
Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, and his wife Melinda Gates provide various programs to fight disease, poverty and other health and social issues, and improve education through the Gates Foundation, which also disperses grants to researchers with help from Warren Buffett and Gates’ father William H. Gates Sr. Lee listed that, according to Dahl, the Global Health Program of the Gates Foundation receives about 50 percent of the Gates Foundation’s funds, while the Global Development Program and U.S. Program receive 25 percent each. Read more
March 8, 2009
Thank you, Las Mujeres Solares for giving us reasons to celebrate International Women’s Day! Below is a tribute of memories from this past summer,
One of my favorite memories of Adelina is when she had to climb on her roof to re-attach part of her solar panel. Even though she always does everything at the house (she is the mother, father, provider, fixer-of-anything, cook, gardener, everything), and I was so accustomed to seeing her doing unexpected things, she was nonetheless sooo embarrassed to be climbing on her roof. She just thought it seemed so un-lady-like! It became a huge ordeal, and I thought it was just as normal as everything else I’d witnessed in Nicaragua! -Lori Hanna
I think most of the best memories with Dona Carmen involve her reactions to my brother Matteo and I being goofballs, such as singing Disney songs or playing soccer in that little hallway/living area or toying with my niece Skarleth while doing the dishes. I rarely saw Dona Carmen laugh except for those times. I also enjoyed teaching her how to cook French Toast… she took it with humility and appreciation, and then surprised me when she served us French Toast a week or two later! She said “I learned!” -Daniel Hensel
I always appreciated how willing Maria was to teach me about the culture of Sabana Grande. Maria dedicates her time to caring for her three grandchildren cooking, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, doing mountains of laundry, cleaning her house inside and out, and gardening all of the fruit, vegetable, and herb plants surrounding her home. Once I had bridged the language gap, I felt comfortable asking how I could help contribute to the chores around the house. Maria was quick to respond that she thoroughly enjoyed cleaning and cooking for everyone in her home, and if I wanted to learn, she would love to teach me. From learning how to wash clothes on a rock while bringing water from a well; to hand making nacatamals, the lessons in learning how to be a homemaker from Maria were some of my favorite memories from this past summer. -Anna Young
The cooking lessons were not limited to Sabana Grande. While working for Grupo Fenix in Mangagua, Nicargua during summer 2009, Vince Romanin, had the opportunity to learn a peanut hot sauce recipe from two Mexican nuns, Pera and Luce, who work with Grupo Fenix. Vince reminisced about his time with Pera and Luce, “The Nuns were always gracious hosts, and were even willing to give me cooking lessons! I still think of them every time I make peanut hot sauce.” (see the following link for Vince’s blog posting of his cooking lesson for peanut hot sauce. Including the recipe!)
Grupo Fenix Volunteer Pete Kolis lived with Frederlinda Perez in Sabana Grande this past summer. When asked about his favorite memory of Frederlinda, Pete was eager to respond with many;
I love Freder’s mashed potatoes. It was a little slice of home when they showed up on my plate. I half expected gravy, cranberries, rolls, and apple sauce to be just inside the kitchen. Now, let me tell you that orange sweet potatoes are familiar to me, but I was surprised to find orange mashed potatoes so far south. So I asked Freder what they were made of. It turns out that ketchup can both sweeten potatoes and turn them orange. Truly a taste of home! If you don’t believe that they were delicious, grab some french fries and see which condiment you crave.
Freder lives with her mother and father, Doña Ramona and Don Nicasio. Walking back from the Solar Center, I often saw Freder and Doña Ramona through the window of the kitchen, busy cooking. One day, Doña Ramona decided that I wasn’t doing enough to earn my meals and told me that I would have to dance for my dinner. Making sure that it was visible through the window, I danced, and performed so well that I commanded an encore performance.
I wasn’t the only performer in the house, though. Along with her own son, Freder had assumed responsibility for three of her sister’s children, and the five of us, after studying, drummed, harmonized, lip-synced, and danced for her to the sounds of the radio in her kitchen after dark.
One day, wanting to purchase a large bucket at the town’s bucket store, I joined Freder on a trip to town. Walking with Freder (about 5′1″ in heels), I (5′11″ in my stockinged feet) must have looked quite the sight. I certainly felt it. Looking down the crowded street to the indoor market and all the buyers and vendors therein, I had the sudden realization that I was the tallest person within my sight. And not only the tallest–I could see the top of every person’s head. My distress was eased when Freder bought me a vanilla smoothie from a local vendor, but the germs worried me. Until that point, I had been careful to avoid drinking un-purified water, milk, or anything that might have the local germs. The smoothie–cold, sweet, and delicious–violated all of that. I suggested that if I fell sick and died the very next day because of the unpasteurized germs, it would be her fault for having purchased me the vanilla smoothie. Cold-hearted, she laughed at my hypothetical doom.
Near the very end of my stay with Frederlinda’s family, I had the pleasure to take Freder out for hamburgers and shakes at Gigi’s Hamburgers, an “American-style” hamburger joint in the nearby town. Though nothing to compare to a good butterburger, it made me happy to be able to thank her for letting me stay with her and her family for the summer. -Pete Kolis
March 4, 2009
The 2008-2009 University of Dayton Business Plan Competition Presentations will be help March 21 on UD’s campus (exact location and time TBA). This year’s five finalist to present include:
Free Copying 101, which offers free printing to college students by selling advertising on the papers.
Musky Fever, which created a new mechanism for one-man fishing nets.
Patron Industries Safety Cone, which offers a lightweight lit safety cone to improve safety conditions on construction sites and event locations.
Sample Scan envisions a new hi-tech tagging system to allow laboratories to more easily locate cryogenic samples in storage tanks.
KDVS Greenhouse Lighting Design has developed prototypes for greenhouse lighting using LED technology. (Named finalist Jan. 6, 2009)
The competition winner will take home $15,000, second-place $10,000, third-place $5,000, and the fourth- and fifth-place winners $1,500 each. Final presentations will be held March 21, 2009, and winners will be announced later at UD’s entrepreneurship program banquet on April 1.
For more information, contact: Dean McFarlin at 937-229-4928 or mcfarlin@udayton.edu
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