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Dr. Otu Oviemo Ovadje is a Nigerian doctor who has invented an effective, simpler and affordable blood auto-transfusion mechanism. He started working on the invention in 1989 with 120 US dollars. Six (6) years later, he was declared best African scientist and founded EATSET Industries in April 2001.
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Auto-transfusion is a very expensive technology which is already used in developed nations and consists of sophisticated equipment using centrifugation for cell washing. Most African countries cannot afford this technology to save lives.
Dr. Ovadje’s invention, called EAT-SET (Emergency Auto-Transfusion Set), is a system that recovers blood from internal bleeding. Thus, the device uses the patient’s own blood and safely reinfuses it if processed within the first 24 hours after haemorrhage. Blood is aspirated into a collection container and is reinfused by gravity to the patient after a filtration process. The EAT-SET only takes two (2) minutes to process 500 ml of blood.
The system is entirely closed and consists of a reusable collection device holding a disposal filter (no risk of infection). Suction and retransfusion lines are connected to the system. A hand held vacuum pump is used for blood suction from body cavities. One key advantage of the EAT-SET is its ability to function without electrical power; making it a system of choice for Africa where energy generation and distribution are not optimum. Another advantage of the device is that it prevents the transmission of diseases and avoids immunological complications of homologous transfusion. Last, but no least, EAT-SET permits greater flexibility in relation to the use and supply of blood banks, especially in most African countries where blood resources are extremely scarce due to the absence of an organized blood donation program.
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP ) and the government of Nigeria funded the EAT-SET Project, with the World Health Organization (WHO) acting as the executing agency and providing assistance in the coordination of the project.
Dr. Ovadje has received several awards for his invention, from the African Union (AU) to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), among several other renowned organizations.