Dr. Tarek Loubani says that his 3D printed stethoscope can be made for $2.50 and works as well as higher-end counterparts. This is great news for areas that are
underserved in medical supplies. The idea for this came after his experiences in Gaza City's main hospital back in 2012.
As wounded Palestinians poured into the emergency room, the doctors there had to make due with just two stethoscopes, he said.
Back in Canada after the war, he was playing with his nephew's toy stethoscope when he realized a real stethoscope's ear tube might not need to be made of stainless steel. After several years of researching, designing and testing, Loubani and his team unveiled a plastic prototype last month.
The first 3-D printed stethoscope was tested in Canada using a balloon filled with water. Audio tests showed that the Glia stethoscope was on par with the leading model on the market, the Littmann Cardiology III.
His
Glia project is an open source project dedicated to creating cheaper, self-sufficient medical supplies for areas, like Gaza, where regardless of your political affiliation, there are people in need of humanitarian aid like medical supplies.