Infusion pumps may seem like ubiquitous tools in modern hospitals, much like paper copiers are in corporate offices. Yet doctors and nurses in poor places around the world have to manually count drops coming off an IV bag to estimate the dose being delivered to their patients.
A group of tinkerers called Shift Labs have developed a drip counter that is cheap to build, accurate when measuring, and easy to use and install. Once clipped on, it nearly immediately provides mL per hour readout on the front facing display.
The team is currently raising money for manufacturing the Drip Clip on Indiegogo, so if you want to help out here’s the link…
From Shift Labs:
To use the Drip Clip, you clip it to an IV bag and it reads instantaneously. It requires no expertise to use, but it can provide precise information. It measures drip rates by detecting variations in light transmission between an LED and photodiode. The LCD screen displays the flow rate pre-calculated to the units of mL per hour, eliminating error-prone estimates.
The team has put together a video about the Drip Clip and how it would be used in medicine and for helping you dilute your absinthe:
Link: Introducing our Drip Clip…
Indiegogo: The Drip Clip: a life-saving, low-cost technology