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.

Detailed description of the solution

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.

Describe its relevance to resource-constrained settings

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

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

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