MIT You Pitch:EVOCAM

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is an efficient treatment to many conditions with a recovery of a few hours instead of a weeklong recovery from surgery. However, physicians operating in developing regions rarely have access to MIS equipment to perform medical procedures that are routinely performed in the developed world. Lack of awareness, lack of physician training, high cost of endoscopy equipment and accessibility to rural communities are barriers to MIS treatment.
One unfortunate condition is vesico vaginal fistula (VVF) affecting over 2 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa. VVF is a devastating pregnancy related disability that develops during obstructed labor. Many affected women live with the constant and humiliating smell of urine and suffer nerve damage to the legs. They are often rejected by their partner, shunned by their community and blamed for their condition.
EVOCAM is a fully functional endoscopy device designed to meet the needs of physicians operating in developing regions. It is made out of standard equipment in place of costly custom made components. A laptop is used for visual display, power source, storage and transmission. EVOCAM can be profitably sold for $2,500, while existing devices cost many times more with an average endoscopy system retailed at $70,000. In 3/2011, EVOCAM was used to treat VVF patients in Uganda.
Provide endoscopy devices and help train African physicians to use them, enabling treatment to hundreds of patients that are currently deprived of treatment.
http://globalchallenge.mit.edu/teams/view/186

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