Building and Shipping Low-Cost, Lifesaving Medical Devices
3rd Stone Design creates affordable medical products that protect the health of people and the planet. In addition to designing these critically important devices, 3rd Stone Design also partners with other companies to create the businesses that bring these products to the global marketplace. 3rd Stone Design has more than 15 years of experience, and also develops renewable energy systems and socially conscious consumer products.
Situation
Many medical solutions have traditionally been too expensive and complex to widely implement in developing countries. 3rd Stone Design is changing this by designing low-cost, essential medical devices. And when it comes to building these machines, the company has turned to PRIDE Industries not once, but twice.
In 2013, PRIDE Industries partnered with 3rd Stone Design to build and ship its Pumani CPAP machine—an inexpensive airway device that can triple the survival rate of babies with respiratory distress syndrome. In just a few months, PRIDE Industries built and shipped over 1,000 of these breathing aids to 35 countries around the world. So in 2022, when 3rd Stone Design needed a manufacturing partner that could affordably build, package, and ship its new BiliDx system, the medical device company turned again to PRIDE Industries.
Solution
Jaundice is a common condition in newborns, affecting about 60% of babies worldwide. The disease is caused by a buildup of bilirubin in the bloodstream, and usually resolves on its own within a few days. In rare cases, however, jaundice can lead to severe brain damage. This is why it’s so important to monitor bilirubin in babies who present with the condition’s telltale yellow skin and eyes. In many developing countries, however, the technology to measure bilirubin in the blood is expensive and hard to come by.
But that situation is changing, thanks to a new technology—the BiliDx System. This innovative diagnostic system uses a handheld medical device to measure an infant’s serum bilirubin levels. Invented by 3rd Stone Design and built by PRIDE Industries, the device needs only a single drop of blood—applied to an inexpensive, disposable lateral flow strip—to immediately provide a precise reading. Because it’s portable, low cost, and highly accurate, the BiliDx System is an ideal solution for resource-constrained medical settings.
In addition to building, packaging, and shipping the BiliDx system, PRIDE Industries also provides affordable international shipping. This has led to significant cost savings for 3rd Stone Design and its customers. This affordability, along with the product’s high accuracy, has made the BiliDx System a reliable diagnostic solution, helping economically developing nations combat neonatal jaundice—which affects 24 million newborns each year.
Services Provided
Building, packaging, and shipping of low-cost medical devices for the developing world.
Highlights
BiliDx Systems shipped
BiliDx test strips shipped
“PRIDE Industries has been an extraordinary partner in helping us scale and produce specially designed medical products for mothers and newborns in underserved communities throughout the globe.”
