TB kills close to 1.7 million people globally every year and is highly contagious, with the disease being spread primarily through airborne transmission. When infectious people cough, sneeze, talk or spit, they propel TB germs, known as bacilli, into the air. A person needs only to inhale a small number of these to be infected. Left untreated, each person with active TB can infect on average between 10 and 15 people every year.

Detailed description of the solution

This device is a combination of an easy-to-use digital chest x-ray, a computer aided diagnostic (CAD) tool for analyzing chest x-rays, and relatively cheap, made-to-order laboratories to help diagnose tuberculosis in areas where there are shortages of health care workers and radiologists. The made-to-order labs include a 20-foot container with a power generator, batteries, a UV light, a Multipurpose Digital X-ray, Computer Aided Detection, LED microscopy and provisions for molecular tests. The X-rays are analyzed in a database (complied by Delft Diagnostic Imaging), to develop a system for TB detection. A computer would compare a patient's chest x-ray to a database of images to flag possible TB cases. This would facilitate early detection and reduce the burden of TB cases for health professionals.

Designed by

• Designed by: The Zambia AIDS-Related TB Project (ZAMBART), an NGO located in Zambia.
• Manufacturing: South Africa and the Netherlands (Delft Diagnostic Imaging)
• Delft Diagnostic Imaging: Wiltonstraat 41, Veenendaal, Netherlands, 3905 KW

Testing/Implementation

The device was tested and implemented in Lusaka, Zambia in 2010.

Funding Source

The Dutch Government currently funds this project for a span of two years (2011 – 2013) with a budget of 70,000 Euros.

References