The 2014 Ebola epidemic was the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa and killing over 11,000 people. The Center of Disease Control and its partners worldwide are working to prevent future outbreaks, but these efforts are easier said than done.<\/p>\n
Prevention in developing nations most prone to outbreaks is difficult. These areas often lack resources most of us generally take for granted, such as clean water, electricity and refrigeration. While difficult, solutions are not impossible. Breakthroughs imagined by medical non-profit Diagnostics for All<\/a><\/strong> is proof.<\/p>\n In order to successfully treat patients with Ebola, the virus must be diagnosed very quickly. One of the reasons behind the 2014 epidemic was the difficulty in providing a quick and effective virus diagnosis. Recognizing the need for a diagnostic tool that would work in developing countries that lack electricity, clear water and refrigeration, the designers at Diagnostics for All used SOLIDWORKS to develop an easy-to-use, portable, and cost-effective solution.<\/p>\n The company saw SOLIDWORKS as the ideal solution to enable its designers to design all of the product\u2019s electronics and packaging, combine them with chemistries needed for the test kit and packing them in a small, portable test kit. The company\u2019s disposable rapid diagnostic test product enables healthcare workers to test for Ebola in the harshest of conditions, saving untold number of lives in the process.<\/p>\n