When we talked to you about the history of the incubator some time ago we already commented that its history was not over and that they were waiting for us new advances. Today we can talk about one of them, who is in luck because he has won a prestigious international award.
MOM is a low cost inflatable incubator which won the James Dyson Award 2014. An invention that emerged from the need of the creator after watching a documentary about premature babies in refugee camps and the needs that were in those disadvantaged environments.
Therefore, this incubator that can be easily swollen and transported has been mainly designed for use in developing countries and the most interesting thing is that it costs up to 90% less than conventional incubators. It is sad to note that many lives are lost due to lack of means, but it is a reality and inventions like this could help mitigate these failures between different countries.
According to the World Health Organization, 75% of deaths due to premature birth could be avoided if the treatments were more affordable, as is the case with this incubator.
The operation of MOM is the same as that of a conventional incubator but its cost is much lower: we go from the 36,000 euros that a conventional incubator can cost at about 300 euros including manufacturing and shipping costs.
The incubator can be folded for easy transport and works with a battery that can last up to 24 hours in case of power failure. MOM is manually swollen and heated by means of ceramic plates.
A display shows the indoor temperature and the degree of humidity and if there is a variation, an alarm will sound. In addition, for those babies who suffer from jaundice, it has a folding phototherapy unit.
Personally, I think it's great that the creativity of designers, engineers and scientists is applied to health technologies and if they are meant to save lives of those who need it most, my applause is even greater. I would not be surprised if this invention was extended to many hospitals and not only in disadvantaged countries, since prematurity is a global problem.
According to the WHO, one in ten babies in the world is born prematurely. We hope this award to MOM, the low cost inflatable incubator, serve to end up being marketed successfully and save many lives of premature children when the kangaroo method skin to skin is not possible.
