By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
    December 19, 2013
    IT Strategy for Health Plans: Interview with ikaSystems CEO Joe Marabito
    August 11, 2014
    A New Kind of Stress Test
    May 26, 2015
    Latest News
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Can Toys Decrease the Cost of Health Care Devices?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Global Healthcare > Can Toys Decrease the Cost of Health Care Devices?
Global HealthcareMedical DevicesMedical InnovationsPolicy & LawPublic HealthTechnology

Can Toys Decrease the Cost of Health Care Devices?

Gary Levin MD
Gary Levin MD
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

What may be a new and disruptive technology in healthcare is being studied and developed at the MIT Little Devices Laboratory, part of the International Innovations and Health Group.

Currently medical devices are very expensive for a variety of reasons: research and development, patent licenses, marketing cost, government regulations and more. Our current development cycle does little to reduce the cost of such devices.

What may be a new and disruptive technology in healthcare is being studied and developed at the MIT Little Devices Laboratory, part of the International Innovations and Health Group.

More Read

CVAC Wellness Systems Has Developed a Natural Method for Enhancing Physical Condition
Office of Recovery: Avellone Proposes Strong Response to Substance Abuse [TRANSCRIPT]
Top at Risk DRG’s in the Post ICD-10 Era & How to Proactively Address Coding Challenges
Does Acupuncture work?
Tips for Small Businesses to Reduce Healthcare Costs

Currently medical devices are very expensive for a variety of reasons: research and development, patent licenses, marketing cost, government regulations and more. Our current development cycle does little to reduce the cost of such devices.

MIT sells a Medikit (Medical Education Design Invention Kits), a Do-It-Yourself medical device kit designed to foster innovation and creativity with all the pieces to assemble a medical device.

medical devicesmedical innovation

The devices are assembled from a variety of Lego parts, the internal workings of other toys with electronic parts, LEDs, and more.

By demystifying medical technology and providing appropriate tools and materials, MEDIKit enables healthcare professionals to develop their own solutions. As an innovation in international health it provides affordable medical devices for patients who would otherwise have nothing.

Medical Devices Are Not Toying Around 

The term DIY Medical Device might conjure images of a FDA nightmare in the minds of most. But in a time when healthcare costs are increasing globally, Jose Gomez-Marquez, director of the Director of the IIH (Innovations in International Health) Lab at MIT, has embraced the idea by heading up MIT’s Little Devices group, dedicated to design, invention, and policy toward DIY health technologies.

health technology

Created with the healthcare needs of the developing world in mind, the MEDIKit (Medical Education Design and Invention Kit) allows medical professionals to design their own medical devices using easy-to-assemble modular components. The MEDIKit allows users to customize and quickly assemble medical devices that address the challenges of work environments in many developing nations.

Right now the MEDIKits span six areas: drug delivery, diagnostics, microfluidics, prosthetics, vital signs, and surgical devices. Each kit contains a platform with a combination of medical device parts that can be adapted and assembled into various functions like LEGOs. In fact, many of the Little Devices group’s many still developing projects revolve around reconfiguring and finding new uses for cheap, readily available products (like toys).

Watch this video about fluidics, diagnostics and more, using inexpensive materials such as paper to test for Anemia, Dengue, Protein Content, and routine laboratory testing.

 

TAGGED:MEDIkit
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

9 Lifestyle Tweaks That Can Add Years to Your Life
9 Healthcare Lifestyle Tweaks That can Add Years to Your Life
lifestyle
July 11, 2025
car accident lawsuit
Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
Policy & Law
July 6, 2025
women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025

You Might also Like

Device Alerts Patients They Are Close to a Heart Attack

August 2, 2011

Connected Health, Reimbursement, and the Law of Unintended Consequences

September 26, 2012

Interest Groups: Hurtling Us Down the Road to Ruin

June 25, 2013
Global HealthcarePolicy & Law

Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development

June 11, 2025
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?