Design of a Blood-Warming Device for Resource-Limited Settings
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Date
2013
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
EuroJournals Publishing, Inc.
Abstract
Blood warming is usually required to get the temperature of blood to 37oC from storage temperatures of 1–6 oC to prevent hypothermia during transfusions. Needs assessment at various hospitals revealed that blood warming is a major challenge in Ghana. Local methods of warming blood include leaving blood bags on walls in the open at ambient temperature to warm, putting bags in warm water or leaving blood bags under running tap water. These methods are inefficient, unsafe and time consuming. Efficient blood warmers are available but they are very expensive and unaffordable for the resource limited hospitals surveyed. A cost effective, safe and efficient blood warming and thawing device was designed to address the above-mentioned problems in resource-limited settings. Materials and components were selected based on specifications obtained from potential users, functional analysis, existing products and standards. The components of the device are encased in a housing insulated with polymer foam to reduce heat loss to the environment. It is anticipated that this intervention will be invaluable in situations where quick blood transfusions are required to save lives.
Description
Keywords
Engineering design, Hypothermia, Blood Warmer, Blood Transfusions, Prototype, Simulation, Red Blood Cells (RBCs), Haemolysis
Citation
C.F. Adams, J.D. Chirawurah, P.E. Agbekoh and Elsie Effah Kaufmann, “Design of a Blood-Warming Device for Resource-Limited Settings,” European Journal of Scientific Research, 103(1), 7-15 (2013)