SurgiField: Serving conflict-affected people by providing safe, timely and affordable surgical care
THE CHALLENGE
Several risks are present when delivering surgery in conflict zones and humanitarian crises. Firstly, nonsterile facilities pose high risks of infection, compromising patient safety. Simultaneously, provider safety is at risk due to inadequate personal protective equipment which may fail to prevent the transmission of infections. Beyond this, facilities are often targets of attack, and this disrupts both service delivery and supply chains, making it challenging to reliably procure surgical materials and operate under safe conditions.
THE SOLUTION
To improve surgical operating conditions in conflict zones, SURGIBOX Inc. developed the SurgiBox, a clear sterile drape that inflates with sterile air into an enclosure over the incision during an operation. In addition to an antimicrobial incise drape at the bottom, SurgiBox has ports for the entry of staff arms and materials, holds a surgical tray inside, and fits in a backpack or suitcase as a ready-to-use kit for rapid deployment, allowing it to be swiftly set up without interrupting existing surgical workflows. During the course of the project, SURGIBOX Inc. completed the development of the product through iterative prototyping, finding the right manufacturing partners, and obtaining the needed regulatory approvals. In addition to completing a Cadaver research collaboration with MSF, SURGIBOX Inc. obtained emergency use authorization for the use of SurgiBox in Ukraine, where the conflict quickly drove a need for improved, on-site wound-related surgical care. Towards the end of 2022, the first batches of SurgiBoxes were successfully deployed to the Ukrainian military for use on wounded soldiers in their transfer from the frontlines to hospitals.
