Problem: Inappropriate patient positioning and abrupt movement during administration of spinal and epidural anesthesia may cause clinical complications.

Solution: The Epidural Chair is a low-cost, patient-friendly positioning device, which is used to position patients appropriately, in a safe and secure manner, prior to epidural and other spinal anesthetic procedures. The chair works to encourage cervical, thoracic and lumbar flexion by helping the patient maintain a firm position.

The Epidural Chair is designed to increase efficiency of clinicians in operating rooms, labor and delivery suites and other places, where epidurals and spinal procedures are performed. Customised for use with both male and female patients, the Epidural Chair supports patients weighing up to 440 lbs. in a variety of body sizes and weights. By supporting and correctly positioning the target spinal area, the Epidural Chair directly reduces chances of error. The Epidural Chair was designed and tested in collaboration with the Department of Anesthesia, AKUH.

Problem: Conventionally, multiple diagnostic devices are used to screen, examine, and document various regions of interest of the human body. The examination of the skin, eye, nose, throat, ear, teeth and mouth all require separate diagnostic devices, i.e., the dermascope, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, otolaryngoscope and dental scope are used separately to examine the skin, ear, eyes, ENT (ear, nose and throat), teeth and mouth, respectively. Traditional used devices are large and bulky and lack documentation support, as a result patient electronic health records are not regularly updated or maintained.

Solution: A mobile diagnostic device invented for healthcare professionals practicing in the field of dermatology, otology, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, dentistry, and pathology. The Multipurpose Scope is an adapter for smartphones, which converts a smartphone into a diagnostic device with three interchangeable modules that can function as otoscope, ophthalmoscope, oral scope, dental scope and derma scope to help examine and capture clinically important images of the parts of a human body, such as skin, ear, nose, throat, eye, teeth and mouth. When attached to a microscope, the device can also capture pathological images.

Problem: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a global surge in the demand of nasal swabs, which are used to obtain respiratory specimens for the diagnosis of the novel coronavirus. The swabs are a core component of COVID-19 testing kits and their lack in supply impeded the early diagnosis of COVID-19 in patients¹. For low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with weak health systems and limited financial resources, bidding against developed countries to purchase scarce global supplies, became challenging².

Solution: The Nasal Swab is a low-cost, 3D-printed nasal swab for use in COVID-19 testing kits.

Clinical trials were conducted and completed at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi with encouraging results as the 3D-printed swab was validated against the conventional, imported nasal swab and was found to be equally safe, effective, and user-friendly. The innovation is used for non-invasive nasal (nostril) sample collection and can conveniently be used by individuals for self-sampling.

The Nasal Swab was developed in collaboration with Dr. Zahra Hassan, Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine.

¹Webber Lauren, Jewett, Christiana. Testing Swabs Run In Short Supply As Makers Try To Speed Up Production. March 18, 2020. NPR.org. Retrieved from

²McMahon, D. E., Peters, G. A., Ivers, L. C., & Freeman, E. E. (2020). Global resource shortages during COVID-19: bad news for low-income countries. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 14(7), e0008412.

Problem: In medical emergencies, manual resuscitation using a Bag-valve-mask (BVM) or an Ambu Bag becomes tiresome and is liable to human error, as it requires the operator to squeeze at a predetermined, consistent frequency to provide necessary ventilation. Many Ambu bags do not have an indicator to show the pressure being applied to the patient. They also lack built-in tidal volume or respiratory rate control. The use of an Ambu bag may lead to unregulated air supply to the lungs, leading to irregular breathing, which can cause poor oxygen supply to the brain and other vital organs and resultantly, irreparable brain or organ damage.

Solution: The Emergency Ventilator helps incubate patients in the emergency room, where there is a shortage of mechanical ventilators in low-resource settings. The device aims to help save casualties arising from shortage of ventilators and staff in the emergency room for manual ventilation.

The portable, Emergency Ventilator, is a three-chambered device, which contains a conventional Ambu bag in the center, provides automated squeezing compressions at a predefined frequency to maintain a uniform positive airway pressure being supplied to the patient. The portable, automated emergency ventilator utilises a self-adjusting algorithm to regulate the pressure applied to the lungs of the patient. The operator can predefine the tidal volume, pressure and respiratory rate as per the requirement of the patient, as a result of which the Ambu bag is compressed linearly with the aid of actuators at the required cycles per minute. An oxygen cylinder can also be connected to the Ambu bag to supply oxygen to the patient upon compression.

The RAD enables intelligent management of the pressure applied to the patient with the help of self-adjusting pressure algorithms, resulting in automated and hands-free pumping through the Ambu bag for use in clinical settings (emergency room, wards, ambulance), as well as at home, with a variable frequency and pressure applications. It provides comfort to caregivers and ensures adequate and effective ventilation, as required by the patient.

AKDN dHRC in collaboration with the Breathhack team, a group of clinicians and researchers, designed the motor that is attached to an ambu bag. The device was the winner of the CCIT Hack 2016, Aga Khan University’s first medical hackathon hosted by AKU’s Critical Creative Innovative Thinking (CCIT) team.

Problem: Evidence suggests that high-risk pregnancies can benefit from the continuous monitoring, contributing to the well-being of both, the mother and the fetus.

Solution: The Wearable Maternity Sensor is a digital fetal monitoring system, which detects fetal locomotor activity patterns to predict the size and health of the fetus.

The device consists of portable, wearable sensor transducers to monitor and detect fetal movement and kick target force along with muscular stiffness in terms of kicks and movement. These sensors collect and transmit data on parameters such as fetal and maternal heart rate, uterine contractions and fetal movements. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), the device analyses acquired data to inform the physician of the fetal health condition and predict the size of the baby. Highly sensitive sensors are embedded in the belt in such an array that patient movement does not hinder signal acquisition and interpretation. The belt can be worn comfortably for long durations of time without causing any discomfort or mobility limitations.

The data generated from the device helps signal fetal distress to physicians in a timely manner through the smartphones, reducing the risk of adverse outcomes for patients in resource-limited settings, where quality health care services are limited.

Problem: Conventional ECG devices limit the mobility of patients when being used. They are primarily used in in-hospital settings to monitor cardiovascular activity. There is a need to monitor patients with cardiovascular diseases in settings outside the hospital.

Solution: The Bluetooth-enabled, portable, user-friendly 3-Lead ECG device helps detect bradyarrhythmia, tachyarrhythmia and atrial fibrillation and transmits the signals wirelessly in real-time to its mobile application. The mobile app helps analyse the ECG and makes the data available for view by the treating physician. Using the device, patients can also record and maintain a record of their ECG in out-of-hospital settings, without the supervision of a health care provider.

The 3-Lead ECG device consists of electrodes with a flexible design, which can be adjusted when placed flat against the chest. The device can be attached to the backside of a smartphone’s case or separately. The patient can view real-time data through the mobile application, which can be shared with the health care provider via different image-sharing platforms, such as email.

Problem: Stress can have both physiological as well as psychological symptoms. When an individual experiences stress, the heart rate increases, blood pressure rises, breathing becomes more rapid and the individual can experience feelings of anxiety and panic. These symptoms occur due to the release of stress hormones i.e., cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this can cause serious health concerns like high blood pressure, gut issues and migraines. Although cortisol is the main stress hormone, it is involved in many important physiological functions as well. Levels of cortisol rise and fall naturally throughout the day and can spike in response to stress. However, test results for current methods for measuring cortisol levels require several days. By the time a person learns the results of a cortisol test, which may inform treatment for certain medical conditions, it is likely different from the current level of cortisol.

Solution: The smart Bio-Feedback Device is a comprehensive portable device attached at the back of smartphones. It is a user-friendly reliable biofeedback device designed for continuous non-invasive monitoring of various physiological parameters to detect stress and anxiety level in efforts to manage stress caused by daily ongoing activities. The device embeds highly precise sensors, able to sense even the weakest bodily signal, allowing the device to perform portable health check-ups. Data derived from the investigation is logged and analyzed through integrated clinical algorithms predicting stress levels.

The Smart Biofeedback device provides healthcare providers with data regarding the level of stress experienced by the individuals, which provides information on items such as daily activity levels and mental health condition, which might be affecting the individual’s decision making and performance.

Problem: Low- and middle-income countries, like Pakistan and Afghanistan, report some of the worst health outcomes in reproductive maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) indicators, despite considerable investments in infrastructure and human resource development. Health systems suffer from inefficiencies caused by underperformance of health workers and lack of accountability and transparency, resulting in poor governance. Over the past decade, digital health technologies have been increasingly leveraged to improve health service delivery and information systems from the community level to district and national levels by equipping health workers with supportive tools to provide better care in communities.

Solution: Hayat is a mobile application, which aims to improve the quality and coverage of and access to child vaccination and reproductive, maternal and child health (RMNCH) services by digitalising health worker activities. It is specifically designed for use by vaccinators and community health workers during community visits or within the premises of health facilities.

The application caters to the entire family by maintaining a separate family profile containing health records of each family member as well as that of the family collectively. The profiles can be searched through the assigned family numbers, National Identity Card (NIC) numbers, mobile phone numbers, vaccination card numbers, fingerprints or QR codes. Unique features of the application, among many others, include the graphical display of the growth chart; profile display of the nutritional record, illness record and a comprehensive record of vaccinations, antenatal, postnatal visits and stock management of supplies with respect to area the health worker serves. The application aims to strengthen the vaccination and RMNCH service tracking and management and the patient referral system. The app also helps builds capacity of healthcare professionals through embedded educational videos. Hayat is a patient-centered app, enabling vaccinators and health workers to provide improved care to mother and child at their doorstep via mobile health technologies.

In terms of supervision and management, Hayat reports data on a wide range of parameters, such as reproductive and maternal health care, child growth and illness, immunisations and referrals. Hayat’s real-time, GPS-powered tracking system allows health care administrators to remotely monitor field activities of health workers conveniently. Hayat tracks coverage of services and generates reports on key indicators in efforts to improve transparency and accountability of health systems, thereby improving overall governance.

Note: Hayat is an innovation jointly funded by the Aga Khan Foundation and the Government of Canada through the Grand Challenges Canada, through a grant awarded to the Aga Khan University. The patent application is a result of the grant funding.

Problem: With technology redefining health care, the monitoring of physiological parameters non-invasively and continuously in real-time to keep track of one’s health has become a top priority. However, monitoring parameters, such as blood pressure, oxygen saturation level and ECG, requires the use of multiple medical devices for each parameter, i.e., pulse oximeter, sphygmomanometer and an electrocardiogram.

Solution: The Glove is an innovative wearable device accompanied by a mobile application, which helps measure stroke risks through non-invasive, continuous monitoring of physiological parameters. It is a low-cost, easy-to-use system, which improves time efficiency and device accuracy.

The device consists of a glove that acts as a diagnostic monitoring device, which is capable of measuring oxygen saturation level, blood pressure and ECG, simultaneously. The infrared sensor embedded within the index finger cover of the Glove takes oxygen saturation readings, the hand cuff measures the blood pressure using the attached cuff while the ECG leads acquire readings from the human chest.

The microcontroller unit processes the readings based on an intelligent algorithm, converts them into a diagnosis and transmits them to the mobile application via the Bluetooth. The processed information is displayed on the LCD and transferred to the mobile application. The device uses a highly precise mathematical algorithm to provide the user with a clinically accurate diagnosis of underlying or pre-existing conditions and generates an alert for user, accordingly. The data is also wirelessly uploaded to a central server in real-time for access by authorised healthcare provider(s).

Since the device is worn as a glove, it is highly beneficial for bedridden patients; patients that require assistance in measuring physiological parameters; patients in palliative care and the geriatric population. The Glove is made of washable woolen material, which is easy-to-use and comfortable to wear. The electronic components integrated in the Glove are waterproof and consist of washable electronic circuitry.

Problem: Keeping track of the diverse range of surgical instruments, which are used during a general surgery, is a tedious task that requires both time and concentration. The prevention of retained surgical foreign bodies (RFSG) is paramount to patient safety. Existing protocols and procedures require the counting of all surgical instruments numerous times during a surgical procedure, however, due to various factors, these instruments are often left behind in a patient’s body cavity. RFSG not only result in critical or even fatal consequences but, because corrective procedures are often required and litigation is involved, they result in unnecessary financial implications and adversely affect the reputation of health care professionals and health care organizations offering treatment.

A recent study conducted indicates the incidence of RSFB in 1 in every 5,500 surgeries. Increased incidence of RSFB has been reported during emergency surgeries; surgical procedures longer in duration; unplanned procedural changes during surgeries; with participation of more than one surgical team; and in patients with higher body-mass index. , Moreover, surgical instruments continuously move to and from sterilisation, storage and operating rooms, making them easily susceptible to misplacement or to the addition of unrelated instruments.

Solution: The Surgical tray, a portable surgical instrument tracking, inventory and management system that automatically tracks and count all surgical instruments before and