FOR many people in developing countries, being creative with what little they have is part of daily life. Now that frugal approach is being applied to medicine and science, with the advent of devices made from bare-bones materials that are easy for anyone to assemble and repair on their own.
The idea of frugal science has taken off in recent years, says Jose Gomez-Marquez of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, particularly in the fields of biomedical research and diagnostics. Groups like MIT's Little Devices lab are hacking common tools such as bicycle pumps to make nebulisers for medication, for instance. In a field trial in Nicaragua, they have begun testing an autoclave for sterilising medical equipment. Built from a pressure cooker, it uses the insides of snack wrappers as reflectors to concentrate solar rays for power.
The beauty of these devices is that they are easy for ...
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