When writing my week 6 update, I did consider build and market feasibility but did not consider them in as much detail as we learned to this week. The device I had chosen to prototype was the oxygen reservoir filling system, which stores oxygen generated from an oxygen concentrator for times when no electricity to run the oxygen concentrator is available. The device requires 12v of power for 2 hours for the container to fully recharge. It has been used in a hospital in rural Gambia, which reported that it is functioning great and would love to receive more. The oxygen it generates and stores can be used to treat pneumonia, or be used to run other devices that need oxygen to work (such as anesthesia or dialysis machines).

For build feasibility, I did mention that I would ask to see if there was basic infrastructure (in this case electrical power) to power the oxygen reservoir filling system. I also considered designing the tank to be the right size so it is useful, but not too big and therefore expensive. What I didn’t consider is if spare parts are readily available, training for maintenance can be provided, enough skilled workers live in the areas that would need such a device, and how humidity or temperature might affect this device. If the device can be kept as simple as it is fundamentally, this criterion will be able to be met. The tanks used to store oxygen will have to be secure but not too specialized where it will be hard to find makeshift replacements if manufactured ones cannot arrive due to logistics or cost barriers. We could make sure the device is manufactured locally to help ensure people that know how to works and who can fix it or can provide training are available. This will also help ensure spare parts are easier to come by. Lastly, sufficient supportive health care services will not be an issue since conditions that this device would treat often would not need advanced follow-up.

Factors that will determine the market feasibility for this product include the cost of this machine, what the budgets of different hospitals and clinics are, and whether getting the device serviced will be affordable and people to do the maintenance will be available. According to the WHO, the per capita total health expenditure is equivalent to $205. I looked up oxygen concentrators on amazon, and they ranged between $300-600. If we assume the oxygen concentrator and storage system described here is $600, then we can conclude that larger hospitals that treat larger numbers of patients every year can most likely budget for this technology since it will help a lot of people (and therefore only cut into a tiny bit of their lifetime health expenditure). Concerning maintenance, if the device can be manufactured locally, individuals educated on the mechanics of the device would be available for upkeep. One thing to consider is that even though this device can treat pneumonia (which is the largest cause of death for children in the developing world) and therefore be very useful, we most likely cannot consider the other uses of the device (such as using it to supply oxygen to other advanced medical devices) in all situations because hospitals or clinics in Sierra Leone might not have some of those technologies.