Problem being addressed
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is the leading cause of maternal mortality. PPH, characterized as greater than 500 mL of blood lost in 24 hours, contributes to a large portion of the world's 340,000 maternal deaths each year.
Detailed description of the solution
The device is a compact battery-powered device that generates electrical signals to respond to conditions uterine atony (i.e. loss of strength of the uterus). Electrodes are placed inside the uterus, vagina or cervix to cause postpartum contraction of the uterus. The device is designed with potential use in low-resource areas in mind.
Designed by
- Designed by: This device was designed by Robert Garfield, Ph.D., a researcher at Obstetric Solutions and Interventions LLC, at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
- Manufacturer location: This device is manufactured in the USA.
When and where it was tested/implemented
Pilot testing has occurred in the USA and will be expanded.
Funding Source
This endeavor was made possible by the $100,000 grant from the Gates Grand Challenges Exploration Grant.
References
Peer-reviewed publication
Carp HM, Maner W, Garfield R, Winkler C et al. (2012). Potential new treatment for post-partum hemorrhage: a pilot study testing the ability of an electric stimulator to increase uterine tone during cesarean delivery. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology, Monterey, CA, USA. Abstract available here.
Other internally generated reports
"Welcome to Obstetric Solutions and Interventions." Welcome to Obstetric Solutions and Interventions. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2013. Link available here.
Externally generated reports
"Create New Technologies to Improve the Health of Mothers and Newborns." Grand Challenges in Global Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2013. Link available here.
"Technologies innovations maternal neonatal newborn." Maternova offers neonatal health devices, obstetric supplies at low cost. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2013. Link available here.
"Uterine Electrical Stimulation System and Method - Garfield, Robert E." FPO IP Research & Communities. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Jan. 2013. Link available here.
IP and copyright
United States Patent Application 20100286735