1
|
Farré R, Rodríguez-Lázaro MA, Gonzalez-Martin J, Castro P, Hospital T, Compta Y, Solana G, Gozal D, Otero J. Device for Negative Pressure Wound Therapy in Low-Resource Regions: Open-Source Description and Bench Test Evaluation. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11185417. [PMID: 36143070 PMCID: PMC9503864 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11185417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Negative (vacuum) pressure therapy promotes wound healing. However, commercially available devices are unaffordable to most potential users in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), limiting access to many patients who could benefit from this treatment. This study aimed to design and test a cheap and easy-to-build negative pressure device and provide its detailed open-source description, thereby enabling free replication. Methods: the negative pressure device was built using off-the-shelf materials available via e-commerce and was based on a small pump, a pressure transducer, and the simplest Arduino controller with a digital display (total retail cost ≤ 75 US$). The device allows the user to set any therapeutic range of intermittent negative pressure and has two independent safety mechanisms. The performance of the low-cost device was carefully tested on the bench using a phantom wound, producing a realistic exudate flow rate. Results: the device generates the pressure patterns set by the user (25–175 mmHg of vacuum pressure, 0–60 min periods) and can drain exudate flows within the clinical range (up to 1 L/h). Conclusions: a novel, low-cost, easy-to-build negative pressure device for wound healing displays excellent technical performance. The open-source hardware description provided here, which allows for free replication and use in LMICs, will facilitate the application and wider utilization of this therapy to patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ramon Farré
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institut Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Miguel A. Rodríguez-Lázaro
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Julian Gonzalez-Martin
- Microbiology Department-CDB, Hospital Clinic-ISGlobal-University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER of Infectiuos Diseases (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pedro Castro
- Institut Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Intensive Care Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Clínic, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Teresa Hospital
- Intensive Care Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Hospital Clínic, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yaroslau Compta
- Institut Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Service of Neurology, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Unit, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Maeztu Center, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gorka Solana
- Faculdade de Engenharias e Tecnologias, Universidade Save, Maxixe, Mozambique
| | - David Gozal
- Department of Child Health, The University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | - Jorge Otero
- Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Respiratorias, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|