Mechanic Develops Medical Device that Could Save Millions of Lives

An invention from Argentine car mechanic Jorge Odón could prevent complications or infant death during childbirth. The device was inspired by a YouTube video, which shows how to extract a cork that has pushed to the bottom of a wine bottle using a plastic bag: the bottom of the bag is inserted into the spout of the bottle, which is then inverted, so the cork is positioned near the spout. The bag is inflated and then pulled, which yanks the cork out.

In a dream, Odón had the idea to use a similar technique to facilitate obstructed labor, which can occur when the baby's head is too large to easily pass through the birth canal. Across the world, the condition injures or proves fatal for millions of babies or mothers--especially in developing nations. In developed nations, forceps or suction cups are used to pull the baby out. When used incorrectly, they can injury the baby's head or spine.

In the Odón device prototype Odón substituted a glass jar for a mother's womb. He showed that the cloth-based suction device worked by retrieving his daughter's doll from the jar. 

The most recent version of the device, which will be manufactured by Becton Dickinson, uses a specialized plastic bag with a lubricated plastic sleeve, which fits around a baby's head. This apparatus is then inflated, allowing it to grip a baby's head. The device can then be pulled by an attendant until a baby is freed from the birth canal. Since the device is very gentle on a baby's head, there's minimal risk of injury to a child.

A Parallel in Fogarty's Balloon Catheter

The story of how the device was developed recalls how Thomas J. Fogarty, MD developed the balloon catheter to remove clots without invasive surgery in the 1960s. Fogarty, while working in a hospital, noticed that blood clots frequently led to amputations or deaths. Forceps were used to remove the clots after the patient was placed under anesthesia and the artery was cut open.

Fogarty came up the idea of using a urethral catheter, which was strong enough to pierce a blood clot, and attaching a balloon to it. For the balloon, he took a surgical glove and cut off the pinky finger from it and tied it to the catheter using knots he had used in fly-fishing. The balloon could be inflated after it had been pushed through the clot and then tugged out, extracting the blood clot in the process. The embolectomy catheter, which is now manufactured by Edwards Lifesciences, has gone on to save the lives of millions.

Similar to Odón, who tinkered in the garage as a hobby to develop car parts, Fogarty was a lifelong tinkerer, developing custom soapbox derby cars and model airplanes. At the age of 12, he developed a centrifugal clutch to improve the gear shifting mechanism on the Cushman motor scooter.

Brian Buntz is the editor-in-chief of MPMN. Follow him on Twitter at @brian_buntz and Google+.