Problem being addressed
Mosquitoes spread malaria. Personal protection typically involves attempting to keep mosquitoes away from your person or drawing them to a trap where they are killed.
Detailed description of the solution
During the day, paraffin wax absorbs solar energy as it melts. At night, the container is brought inside where the heat is released at roughly the same temperature of the human body temperature as the wax solidifies. This heat combined with an attractant derived from human sweat collected from a sweat band worn through the day mimics a sleeping body. Mosquitoes are attracted to the device and are trapped in the "trap".
Designed by
- Design: This device was invented by Tom Kruer and is partnered with AltaSim Technologies for clinical trials.
- Manufacturer location: Columbus, Ohio, United States
When and where it was tested/implemented
Initial testing was scheduled for late 2009 and early to mid 2010.
References
Internally generated reports
"AltaSim Technologies Joins the Global Fight Against Malaria - COMSOL." Multiphysics Modeling and Simulation Software - COMSOL. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. Link available here.
Externally generated reports
Schwartz, Ariel. "Engineer Uses Solar Energy, Wax, and Human Sweat to Fight Malaria – CleanTechnica: Cleantech Innovation News and Views." CleanTechnica: Cleantech Innovation News and Views. 31 Jan. 2009. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. Link available here.