UMBILICAL CORD CLAMP DESIGN
WPI Biomedical Engineering Virtual Internship
During the summer of 2021, I was a part of a team of 5 tasked to develop an inexpensive, sterilizable and easily reproducible umbilical cord clamp for babies in developing countries, using locally-sourced materials.
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Background research:
We first conducted background research of the different methods of cutting an umbilical cord. Of these methods include a lotus birth which is a natural way of removing the umbilical cord, a silk/cotton tie which is used to clamp the cord, and burning off the cord using a candle or some sort of heat.
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Choosing a country:
We chose to focus our design in Somalia as the health care system in Somalia is weak, poorly resourced and equitably distributed. As a result, 3.2 million women and men are in need of emergency health services.
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Material chosen:
We chose to use polyphenylsulfone (PPSF or PPSU) as it is steam sterilizable, inexpensive and accessible. It is also 3D printable, flexible, impact resistant, highly durable, and can withstand high temperatures.
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Result:
Our result is am umbilical cord clamp (designed using SolidWorks) made of polyphenylsulfone as shown below.
