Global Health Medical Device Compendium/Hypertension Detector for Developing Countries

Early detection of preeclampsia is key so as to prevent eclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder and the second-leading cause of maternal deaths in the developing world. However, early detection is a rarity in developing countries because of the lack of affordable hypertension detectors and also because unskilled health workers find it difficult to operate and read conventional devices. Thus, there is a need for simple detection of hypertension for mothers in low-resource settings.

Jhpiego, a non-profit international health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, has developed a durable, easy-to-use, and affordable detector containing a mechanical crank that produces either a green or red light to signal hypertension. The device utilizes oscillometry to detect blood pressure. The detector can be utilized in peripheral level health care settings or homes.

• Designed by: Jhpiego.
• Manufacturer location: Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA

Field testing was conducted in 2010 in Nepal.

This device received funding from the USAID Innovation Award.

Jhpiego Innovations Program: Development, Delivery and Impact at Scale. (n.d.). Jhpiego: Innovating to Save Lives. Retrieved January 1, 2013. Link available here.

M. Trachtenberg, M., Lee, S. Jayaram, G., Acharya, S., Thakor, N. Sangvi, H. (n.d.). Hypertension Detector for Developing Countries. Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved January 1, 2013. PDF available here.

Hypertension Detector for LDCs. (2011, March 3). Maternova: Tools and ideas that save mothers and newborns. Retrieved January 1, 2013. Link available here.