SteriPak: A Revolution in Medical Sterilisation

Transforming End-of-Life Gas Cylinders into Life-Saving Sterilisers

The inspiration behind SteriPak stemmed from a brief by IMC Worldwide, which sought to decommission and repurpose unsafe end-of-life energy storage systems, particularly gas bottles, in sub-Saharan Africa. These storage systems, often used far beyond their design life, have led to a high frequency of accidents from fire and explosion. However, these systems represent a significant investment for their users, necessitating their repurposing into another product while increasing their effective value to the community.

SteriPak's unique properties lie in its ability to convert end-of-life gas cylinders into autoclaves for sterilising medical and baby equipment. The SteriPak autoclave requires only water and a heat source to achieve total sterilisation. Each kit costs less than 10USD, making it an affordable solution for many clinics in sub-Saharan Africa that are forced to reuse surgical equipment due to their expense. SteriPak ensures safe, consistent sterilisation of this equipment, aiming to lower infant mortality rates and increase overall quality of life.

The SteriPak kit is made from Polycarbonate, Steel, and Silicone. The SteriPak valve directly replaces the gas bottle fill valve and incorporates pressure regulation, safety, and air purging features. The spring is calibrated to maintain the 15 PSI of steam pressure to achieve 121C for 15 minutes necessary to sterilise equipment. The kit, with dimensions of 25mm thick x 300mm diameter, can be easily operated and maintained.

The project, which started in 2015 in Dublin, is still in development. It was exhibited in the Global Irish Design Challenge in Dublin Castle in 2016 and is currently being exhibited in the Kilkenny Design Centre. The design process involved extensive research on usage cases for the gas bottles themselves in the affected areas, technical data, and modal dispersion of different bottle systems used in the region. This research was combined with empirical testing and prototyping to develop a system and user experience that would be effective in real-world scenarios.

One of the major challenges of this project was motivating end users to adopt the gas bottle exchange program by providing tangible benefits to the community as a whole. SteriPak empowers the community as the conversion itself provides work for locals that does not rely on specialised equipment. Old gas cylinders are exchanged for completed SteriPaks at these local workshops. The conversion re-uses 99 percent of the material from the gas cylinder to minimise waste.

SteriPak's innovative design and significant impact on community health have earned it the Silver A' Social Design Award in 2017. This award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation. These designs, admired for their strong technical characteristics and splendid artistic skill, showcase a remarkable level of excellence and introduce positive feelings, amazement, and wonder.