Global Health Medical Device Compendium/Sally Centrifuge (Salad Spinner Centrifuge)

Anemia is a major cause of maternal mortality and it remains a prominent issue in developing countries. Methods to accurately diagnose this condition are inadequate in these regions. The Sally Centrifuge, with its mechanically-powered, cost-efficient and portable design, hopes to bring accurate diagnostic technology to low-resource areas.

The Sally Centrifuge is composed of hair combs, a salad spinner and a round plastic container. It spins small capillary tubes filled with blood for ten minutes with manual pumping. A rudimentary gauge is then used to assess hematocrit values (or the ratio of red blood cells to the total volume) to determine whether a person is anemic. The centrifuge can spin up to 30 samples in ten minutes at a rate of 950 rpm.

The Sally Centrifuge is optimal for use in resource-constrained settings because it does not require electricity. It is inexpensive, lightweight, portable, robust and fairly easy to operate. Moreover, studies have shown that it is considerably accurate and effective.

• Designed by: Lauren Theis and Lila Kerr, two undergraduate students of Rice University's 360: Institute for Global Health Technologies

Brown, J., Theis, L., Kerr, L., Zakhidova, N., O'Connor, K., Uthman, M. Z., Oden, M., Richards-Kortum, R. (2011). A Hand-Powered, Portable, Low-Cost Centrifuge for Diagnosing Anemia in Low-Resource Settings. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 85 (2) 327-332.

Hand-Powered Centrifuge. Rice 360: Institute for Global Health Technologies. Link available here.

Salad Spinner centrifuge for anemia. (2011). Maternova: Tools and Ideas that Save Mothers and Infants. Link available here.