This assigment took forever to complete- not because it was exceedingly difficult, but because I kept wandering off on tangents investigating different devices! I ended up writing about a low-cost neonatal hypo- and hyperthermia monitor, but was also very interested in the dried blood spot testing concept. While there is a lot of attention being focused now on point-of-care testing, in very rural areas (or for very specific tests) it may not be feasible to keep supplies on hand for such diagnostics. By eliminating the requirement for skilled lab technicians, delicate handling, and quick transport of samples, the ability of dried blood tests could allow existing regional lab facilities to better serve the surrounding areas. 

It was also interesting to see how differently "low-resource setting" was defined by designers (and the WHO). Some devices touted the accomplishment of reducing the cost by as much as a third (in the case of the portable ventilator), but a device that still costs $11,500 is likely still out of budget for many low-resource clinics, however useful it may be. Other devices, like the temperature sticker, may seem impractically imprecise in areas that can easily afford more sophisticated thermometers.

The pressure-cooker autoclave was also interesting- many designers of reusable devices or components likely take for granted the availability of an easy way to sterilize them, whether it be an autoclave or even antiseptic wipes.