Another Genius Low-cost Solution: The Pie-pan Surgical Lamp

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Let's say you're in surgery, having a life-saving operation, and the power cuts out. Then imagine it stays out for a few hours, days, or even weeks-a not-infrequent occurrence in countries with crappy infrastructure. A team of engineering graduate and undergraduate students at University of Michigan has a great idea: A surgical lamp for use in developing countries where the power-grid's unreliability poses serious threats to doctors' abilities to properly treat patients.The hook? It's cheap to make (pie pan, bike brake, LED), and runs on batteries. And since it was designed by engineering folk, it actually works really well, and meets western-grade standards of reliability. It's currently being tried out in Uganda.You can watch a video about the project-spearheaded by the school's M-HEAL, which focuses on design that helps improve access to healthcare tech in poor countries-here.Nice work, Michigan!Image by Stephen DeWitt