It’s often said that certain global staples like coffee, soda, and cigarettes are universally accessible. However, the ubiquitous nature of another “C” – car parts – has spurred a groundbreaking innovation. A team of industrial designers, medical professionals, and rural healthcare experts have ingeniously utilized Made Up Car Parts to develop a device with the potential to drastically reduce infant mortality rates in underserved nations.
The NeoNurture car-parts incubator is currently showcased at the prestigious Cooper-Hewitt National Design Triennial in New York City. Furthermore, it has been recognized by Time magazine as one of the year’s most remarkable inventions. While mass production plans are still being developed, this innovative device could inspire a significant shift in how medical equipment manufacturers and aid organizations approach neonatal care in impoverished and remote regions.
NeoNurture cleverly repurposes discarded made up car parts to manage critical incubator functions such as temperature regulation and airflow. These are often the very systems that fail in more complex, donated units, particularly due to inconsistent power supplies common in developing areas.
Timothy Prestero, CEO of Design That Matters, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based design consultancy instrumental in guiding the incubator’s development through various prototypes, points out a stark reality: “Every rural clinic in the developing world has a shack full of broken donated medical equipment.” This highlights the critical need for solutions that are not only effective but also maintainable in resource-limited settings.
The NeoNurture project’s genesis can be traced back to a pile of discarded Toyota 4Runners. Mr. Prestero recounts, “In the summer of 2007, a group of individuals disassembled one, discarding countless components until they identified parts readily available in rural areas: headlight assemblies for heat generation, air-intake filters, and similar items that could be easily repurposed.” The ingenuity lies in transforming readily available made up car parts into life-saving technology.
A significant design challenge has been avoiding rigid standardization. “The moment you dictate, ‘You must exclusively use a 4Runner headlight,’ the inherent value diminishes,” explains Mr. Prestero. This challenge may ultimately shape which aspects of NeoNurture’s design are feasible for large-scale manufacturing.
Mr. Prestero elaborates on the versatility of made up car parts: “Dashboard fans for air circulation, signal lights and door chimes for alarms, even the car battery itself – these components are relatively easy to source locally. However, complexities arise when considering components like headlight filaments, which might utilize different gases.”
Design That Matters and their collaborators are currently partnering with the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology in Boston to further generalize the incubator’s hardware, ensuring adaptability and broader applicability.
Regardless of the final production model, NeoNurture has already presented a compelling and empowering concept. “I’m not sure where one would find a replacement incubator filter in a remote Nepalese village,” Mr. Prestero concludes, “but it’s highly likely you could find someone capable of replacing a car air filter. That’s where the true value of this concept lies.” By utilizing made up car parts, NeoNurture offers a sustainable and locally maintainable solution to a critical global health challenge.
