There are many substances that must be kept cold in a hospital. Vaccines are the best known. For this reason, most health care facilities have at least one refrigerator. However, these cold boxes are typically concentrated in one part of the hospital, perhaps the blood bank. A subset of substances are sometimes needed on very short notice, far from the refrigerator. For example, oxytocin (used to contract the uterus after delivery) is unpredictably needed on short notice. Or, they may be required in very remote areas, where they must be carried by hand. Having no access to refrigeration, but knowing the need for the substances, many facilities simply leave a vial of the substance on the counter or exposed to heat and hope that it does not loose lose its potency. SpecificationsWhat is needed is a refrigerator of very small volume. It should be sufficient to store one days worth of the chemical (perhaps 5 ml) without the need for electricity or, preferably, any outside fuel. The cavity should be able to be maintained at about 10 degrees C for 12 hours. It could require shaking, cranking, solar, a hot piece of charcoal or any other non-electric fuel source. Costs should be below $100 in quantities of 500. Information on oxytocin is available in the attachments tab. |