Global Health Medical Device Compendium/Phone Oximeter

Pre-eclampsia is a major cause of maternal and infant mortality. Although medical equipment exists that can detect high blood pressure during the early stages of pregnancy, many women in resource-limited settings do not have access to equipment that could help detect the onset of pre-eclampsia.

This device integrates pulse oximetry, a method which shoots light waves through a patient's finger to determine blood oxygen levels, with software that can be downloaded into a cell phone. By using these mechanisms, this device can track the mother's oxygen levels, a critical measure for accurately predicting pre-eclampsia. By combining these two mechanisms, this mobile pre-eclampsia risk assessment device can overcome barriers found in low resource settings such as a lack of skilled medical workers and minimal accessible medical facilities.

• Designed by: Mark Ansermino and Peter von Dadelszen, clinician scientists the Child and Family Research Institute at the University of British Columbia
• Manufacturer location: Vancouver, BC Canada

Finalist of Saving Lives at Birth competition

Hume, M., & Koring, P. (2011, July 28). Canadian innovators win global competition to tackle maternal health. Retrieved from here

PIERS on the move: Pre-eclampsia integrated estimate of risk assessment on a mobile phone. (2011). Retrieved from here