ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tania Douglas - Biomedical engineering professor
Tania Douglas imagines how biomedical engineering can help address some of Africa's health challenges.

Why you should listen

Tania Douglas's research interests include medical imaging and image analysis, the development of contextually appropriate technology to improve health and health innovation management, particularly the mechanisms of medical device innovation in South Africa.

Douglas is engaged in capacity building for biomedical engineering and needs-based health technology innovation at universities across the African continent; two such projects are "Developing Innovative Interdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering Programs in Africa," in collaboration with Northwestern University and the Universities of Lagos and Ibadan, and "African Biomedical Engineering Mobility," in collaboration with Kenyatta University, Cairo University, Addis Ababa University, the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, the University of Lagos, and the University of Pisa. 

Douglas is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Global Health Innovation, an electronic open-access journal focusing on social and technological innovation for improved health, which launches in 2018. The journal aims to serve as a platform for disseminating research on health innovation in developing settings. 

Douglas has been a Humboldt Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne and at the Free University of Berlin, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London, a Visiting Professor at Kenyatta University, and a Visiting Scholar at Northwestern University. She is a fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering, a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and a Fellow of the International Academy for Medical and Biological Engineering.

 

 

More profile about the speaker
Tania Douglas | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2017

Tania Douglas: To design better tech, understand context

塔尼亞‧道格拉斯: 理解環境以提升設計的技術

Filmed:
1,160,410 views

不能適應非洲氣候的醫療設備,對當地人還有用嗎?生物醫學工程師塔尼亞‧道格拉斯看見人們追求技術時,常常忽略了真實的需求。必須對使用的環境有更深入的理解,方能提升解決方案的效用。
- Biomedical engineering professor
Tania Douglas imagines how biomedical engineering can help address some of Africa's health challenges. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
This is an equipment設備 graveyard墓地.
0
818
2222
這是一個設備的墓地。
00:15
It's a typical典型 final最後 resting休息 place地點
1
3064
2228
是非洲醫院的廢棄的醫療設備,
00:17
for medical equipment設備
from hospitals醫院 in Africa非洲.
2
5316
2786
最後慣常會來到的地方。
00:20
Now, why is this?
3
8720
1415
為何如此?
00:22
Most of the medical devices設備
used in Africa非洲 are imported進口,
4
10641
4187
非洲使用的醫療設備
大多數是進口的,
00:26
and quite相當 often經常, they're not suitable適當
for local本地 conditions條件.
5
14852
3644
很多時候,並不適合當地的條件。
00:31
They may可能 require要求 trained熟練 staff員工
6
19095
3250
這些醫療設備缺乏熟練的員工
00:34
that aren't available可得到 to operate操作
and maintain保持 and repair修理 them;
7
22369
3655
操作、維護及修理;
00:38
they may可能 not be able能夠 to withstand經受
high temperatures溫度 and humidity濕度;
8
26739
3769
也可能無法承受高溫和高濕度;
00:42
and they usually平時 require要求 a constant不變
and reliable可靠 supply供應 of electricity電力.
9
30532
4462
通常需要持續和可靠的電力供應。
00:48
An example of a medical device設備
10
36104
2099
有一個醫療設備進入墳墓的事例,
00:50
that may可能 have ended結束 up
in an equipment設備 graveyard墓地 at some point
11
38227
4202
一種超聲波監測儀器,
00:55
is an ultrasound超聲 monitor監控
to track跟踪 the heart rate of unborn腹中 babies嬰兒.
12
43039
4570
用作追蹤未出生嬰兒的
心率是是否正常,
01:00
This is the standard標準 of care關心
in rich豐富 countries國家.
13
48447
3431
其實這是富裕國家的護理標準;
01:03
In low-resource低資源 settings設置,
the standard標準 of care關心 is often經常
14
51902
3746
但在資源不足的境況下,
標準護理通常是
助產士通過號角聽嬰兒的心率。
01:07
a midwife助產士 listening
to the baby's寶寶 heart rate
15
55672
3209
01:10
through通過 a horn喇叭.
16
58905
1154
01:12
Now, this approach途徑 has been around
for more than a century世紀.
17
60689
3971
這種做法已經存在了一個多世紀。
是要依賴助產士的經驗和技能。
01:16
It's very much dependent依賴的 on the skill技能
and the experience經驗 of the midwife助產士.
18
64684
4485
01:22
Two young年輕 inventors發明家 from Uganda烏干達
19
70528
2805
兩位來自烏干達的年輕發明家,
當幾年前他們還是資訊科技的學生,
01:25
visited參觀 an antenatal產前 clinic診所
at a local本地 hospital醫院 a few少數 years年份 ago,
20
73357
4532
參觀了當地一家醫院的產前診所。
01:29
when they were students學生們
in information信息 technology技術.
21
77913
2832
01:33
They noticed注意到 that quite相當 often經常,
22
81425
2668
他們經常注意到,
01:36
the midwife助產士 was not able能夠
to hear any heart rate
23
84117
3084
助產士用號角
01:39
when trying to listen to it
through通過 this horn喇叭.
24
87225
2688
聽不到任何嬰兒心率。
01:42
So they invented發明 their own擁有
fetal heart rate monitor監控.
25
90665
4537
所以他們發明了自己的
胎兒心率監護儀。
01:48
They adapted適應 the horn喇叭
and connected連接的 it to a smartphone手機.
26
96156
4599
他們改裝號角,連接智能手機。
01:52
An app應用 on the smartphone手機
records記錄 the heart rate, analyzes分析 it
27
100779
4493
手機上的應用程式會記錄
寶寶的心率並進行分析,
01:57
and provides提供 the midwife助產士
with a range範圍 of information信息
28
105296
2904
為助產士提供寶寶狀況的
02:00
on the status狀態 of the baby寶寶.
29
108224
1755
一系列信息。
02:03
These inventors發明家 --
30
111529
1312
發明者——
02:04
(Applause掌聲)
31
112865
1222
(掌聲)
02:06
are called Aaron亞倫 TushabeTushabe
and Joshua約書亞 Okello奧凱洛.
32
114111
3103
是亞倫‧托薩貝和約書亞‧奧克羅。
02:10
Another另一個 inventor發明者, TendekayiTendekayi KatsigaKatsiga,
33
118591
3363
另一位發明家,
滕德卡伊‧卡特西加,
02:14
was working加工 for an NGO非政府組織 in Botswana博茨瓦納
that manufactured製成的 hearing聽力 aids艾滋病.
34
122739
5588
在博茨瓦納一個非政府組織的
製造助聽器機構工作。
02:20
Now, he noticed注意到 that
these hearing聽力 aids艾滋病 needed需要 batteries電池
35
128738
5097
他注意到助聽器需要電池,
需要常常更換電池,
02:25
that needed需要 replacement替代,
36
133859
1197
02:27
very often經常 at a cost成本
that was not affordable實惠
37
135080
2634
大多數他認識的用戶
承受不了需付的金額。
02:29
for most of the users用戶 that he knew知道.
38
137738
2102
02:32
In response響應, and being存在 an engineer工程師,
TendekayiTendekayi invented發明
39
140151
5089
滕德卡伊作為一名工程師回應了,
他發明了可用於
助聽器的太陽能充電器,
02:37
a solar-powered太陽能 battery電池 charger充電器
with rechargeable充電 batteries電池,
40
145264
3610
02:40
that could be used in these hearing聽力 aids艾滋病.
41
148898
2319
及充電電池。
他作為創辦人之一的
Deaftronics 公司
02:43
He cofounded共同創立 a company公司 called DeaftronicsDeaftronics,
42
151625
3902
02:47
which哪一個 now manufactures製成品 the Solar太陽能 Ear,
43
155551
2660
目前生產太陽能助聽器,
02:50
which哪一個 is a hearing聽力 aid援助 powered動力
by his invention發明.
44
158727
3249
由他的發明衍生而來。
02:55
My colleague同事, SudeshSudesh SivarasuSivarasu,
invented發明 a smart聰明 glove手套
45
163829
5237
我的同事蘇德什‧西瓦拉蘇,
為患痲瘋病的人發明了聰明手套。
03:01
for people who have suffered遭遇 from leprosy麻風.
46
169090
2166
03:03
Even though雖然 their disease疾病
may可能 have been cured治愈,
47
171799
3005
儘管他們的痲瘋已經治癒,
03:06
the resulting造成 nerve神經 damage損傷
will have left many許多 of them
48
174828
3156
但之前造成的神經損傷
將會使多數痊癒的病人
手部失去了觸覺。
03:10
without a sense of touch觸摸 in their hands.
49
178008
2538
03:12
This puts看跌期權 them at risk風險 of injury.
50
180570
2058
促成有受傷的危險。
03:16
The glove手套 has sensors傳感器
to detect檢測 temperature溫度 and pressure壓力
51
184017
4025
手套具有檢測溫度
和壓力的傳感器,
03:20
and warn警告 the user用戶.
52
188066
1381
並能發出危險警告;
03:22
It effectively有效 serves供應
as an artificial人造 sense of touch觸摸
53
190581
3509
聰明手套可當作有效的人造觸覺,
並能防止痲瘋病癒者受傷害。
03:26
and prevents防止 injury.
54
194114
1466
蘇德什發明了這種手套,
03:28
SudeshSudesh invented發明 this glove手套
after observing觀察 former前任的 leprosy麻風 patients耐心
55
196032
4689
是在觀察前痲瘋病人的日常活動後,
03:32
as they carried攜帶的 out
their day-to-day日復一日 activities活動,
56
200745
2946
03:35
and he learned學到了 about the risks風險
and the hazards危害 in their environment環境.
57
203715
3589
從中學到了環境
可能造成的危害及風險。
03:41
Now, the inventors發明家 that I've mentioned提到
58
209774
2180
我提到的發明家,
將工程與醫療保健一體化。
03:43
integrated集成 engineering工程 with healthcare衛生保健.
59
211978
2679
03:47
This is what biomedical生物醫藥 engineers工程師 do.
60
215260
2235
這是生物醫學工程師所做的。
03:50
At the University大學 of Cape Town,
61
218558
1905
在開普敦大學,
03:52
we run a course課程 called
Health健康 Innovation革新 and Design設計.
62
220487
3157
我們有一門名為
「健康創新與設計」的課程
03:55
It's taken採取 by many許多 of our graduate畢業
students學生們 in biomedical生物醫藥 engineering工程.
63
223668
3947
有許多生物醫學工程的研究生選修。
04:00
The aim目標 of the course課程
is to introduce介紹 these students學生們
64
228106
3597
課程的目的是介紹給學生
04:03
to the philosophy哲學 of the design設計 world世界.
65
231727
2555
有關設計世界的哲學。
04:06
The students學生們 are encouraged鼓勵
to engage從事 with communities社區
66
234306
3021
鼓勵學生參與社區活動
04:09
as they search搜索 for solutions解決方案
to health-related健康相關 problems問題.
67
237351
3243
從而尋找解決有關健康問題的方法。
04:13
One of the communities社區 that we work with
is a group of elderly老年 people
68
241055
3269
與我們合作的一個團體
是在開普敦的一群老年人。
04:16
in Cape Town.
69
244348
1224
04:17
A recent最近 class project項目 had the task任務
of addressing解決 hearing聽力 loss失利
70
245596
4140
最近一個課堂項目的任務
是解決老年人聽力損失的問題。
04:21
in these elderly老年 people.
71
249760
1450
04:23
The students學生們, many許多 of them
being存在 engineers工程師,
72
251886
2772
學生中許多是工程師,
04:26
set out believing相信 that they
would design設計 a better hearing聽力 aid援助.
73
254682
4851
相信自己會設計出更好的助聽器。
學生們花時間在老年人身上,
04:31
They spent花費 time with the elderly老年,
74
259557
1608
04:33
chatted to their healthcare衛生保健 providers供應商
and their caregivers護理人員.
75
261189
3248
並與照顧者及醫療保健提供者討論。
04:37
They soon不久 realized實現 that, actually其實,
adequate充足 hearing聽力 aids艾滋病 already已經 existed存在,
76
265039
5114
學生很快就意識到助聽器早就有了,
許多需要的老年人曾經也接觸過,
04:42
but many許多 of the elderly老年 who needed需要 them
and had access訪問 to them
77
270177
3996
04:46
didn't have them.
78
274197
1413
但並未擁有它們。
04:47
And many許多 of those who had hearing聽力 aids艾滋病
79
275954
2112
還有很多有助聽器的人
04:50
wouldn't不會 wear穿 them.
80
278090
1233
卻不願意戴上。
04:52
The students學生們 realized實現
81
280321
1990
學生了解到
04:54
that many許多 of these elderly老年 people
were in denial否認 of their hearing聽力 loss失利.
82
282335
3937
許多老年人拒絕承認
自己的聽力衰退,
04:58
There's a stigma柱頭 attached
to wearing穿著 a hearing聽力 aid援助.
83
286296
2500
認為配戴助聽器是一種恥辱。
05:01
They also discovered發現 that the environment環境
in which哪一個 these elderly老年 people lived生活
84
289757
4758
學生還發現在居住的環境上,
並未配合老年人衰退聽力的需要。
05:06
did not accommodate容納 their hearing聽力 loss失利.
85
294539
2023
05:08
For example, their homes家園
and their community社區 center中央
86
296586
3781
例如在老人的家園和社區中心,
05:12
were filled填充 with echoes迴聲
that interfered干擾 with their hearing聽力.
87
300391
3068
有許多干擾他們聽覺的迴聲。
05:15
So instead代替 of developing發展 and designing設計
a new and better hearing聽力 aid援助,
88
303999
5108
學生因此放棄開發
和設計更好的助聽器,
05:21
the students學生們 did an audit審計
of the environment環境,
89
309131
2683
卻對環境進行了檢測,
05:23
with a view視圖 to improving提高 the acoustics聲學.
90
311838
2399
以期改善聲學效果。
05:27
They also devised設計 a campaign運動
to raise提高 awareness意識 of hearing聽力 loss失利
91
315196
3834
他們還策劃了一項運動,
提高對聽力損失的意識,
05:31
and to counter計數器 the stigma柱頭
attached to wearing穿著 a hearing聽力 aid援助.
92
319054
3576
並消除配戴助聽器所帶來的恥辱感。
05:35
Now, this often經常 happens發生
when one pays支付 attention注意 to the user用戶 --
93
323603
3384
當人們關注服務對象時,
經常會發生一種情況——
在這種情況下,是那些老年人
05:39
in this case案件, the elderly老年 --
94
327011
1650
05:40
and their needs需求 and their context上下文.
95
328685
1965
與他們的需求和背景,
05:43
One often經常 has to move移動 away
from the focus焦點 of technology技術
96
331219
2846
人們經常要擺脫聚焦於技術
05:46
and reformulate重新制定 the problem問題.
97
334089
1838
才能重新看待問題。
05:48
This approach途徑 to understanding理解 a problem問題
through通過 listening and engaging
98
336861
3977
通過參與和傾聽來理解問題的方法
05:52
is not new,
99
340862
1228
並不新鮮,
05:54
but it often經常 isn't followed其次 by engineers工程師,
100
342601
2612
但工程師只著意於
05:57
who are intent意圖 on developing發展 technology技術.
101
345237
3110
技術開發的一方面。
06:01
One of our students學生們 has a background背景
in software軟件 engineering工程.
102
349704
3448
我們的一名學生
擁有軟件工程的背景,
他經常為客戶編程軟件解決方案,
06:05
He had often經常 created創建 products製品 for clients客戶
103
353176
2677
06:07
that the client客戶 ultimately最終 did not like.
104
355877
2389
但最終客戶都不喜歡。
06:10
When a client客戶 would reject拒絕 a product產品,
105
358902
2177
客戶拒絕接收他們的產品,
06:13
it was common共同 at his company公司
106
361103
1885
是他的公司常有的事情,
06:15
to proclaim宣布 that the client客戶
just didn't know what they wanted.
107
363012
3708
公司只宣稱客戶不了解
自己的需要而已。
06:19
Having completed完成 the course課程,
the student學生 fed美聯儲 back to us
108
367384
3562
課程完成後,這個學生反饋,
06:22
that he now realized實現
that it was he who hadn't有沒有 understood了解
109
370970
3198
他了解到是自己不明白
06:26
what the client客戶 wanted.
110
374192
1421
客戶想要什麼。
06:28
Another另一個 student學生 gave us feedback反饋
111
376254
2573
另一名學生也給了反饋,
06:30
that she had learned學到了
to design設計 with empathy同情,
112
378851
2468
說工程教育教她用「同感設計」,
06:33
as opposed反對 to designing設計 for functionality功能,
113
381343
2990
是與「功能設計」
06:36
which哪一個 is what her engineering工程
education教育 had taught her.
114
384357
2731
相反的理論。
06:39
So what all of this illustrates說明 is that
we're often經常 blinded失明 to real真實 needs需求
115
387830
4132
所有這一切都說明了
我們經常只顧追求工程技術,
06:43
in our pursuit追求 of technology技術.
116
391986
1593
卻忽視實際的需要。
06:45
But we need technology技術.
117
393936
1581
但是我們需要技術。
06:47
We need hearing聽力 aids艾滋病.
We need fetal heart rate monitors顯示器.
118
395541
2969
我們需要助聽器。
及胎兒心率監測器。
06:51
So how do we create創建 more medical device設備
success成功 stories故事 from Africa非洲?
119
399385
4783
那麼我們如何在非洲創造更多
醫療設備的成功案例?
06:56
How do we create創建 more inventors發明家,
120
404967
1978
我們如何能栽培更多的發明家,
06:58
rather than relying依托 on
a few少數 exceptional優秀 individuals個人
121
406969
3247
而不是依靠一些能夠感知真正需求
07:02
who are able能夠 to perceive感知 real真實 needs需求
122
410240
2108
並以有效方式回應的少數特殊個人?
07:04
and respond響應 in ways方法 that work?
123
412372
1842
07:06
Well, we focus焦點 on needs需求
and people and context上下文.
124
414718
3460
我們關注是人的需求和環境。
你可能會說:「明顯地,
07:10
"But this is obvious明顯," you might威力 say,
125
418497
1832
07:12
"Of course課程 context上下文 is important重要."
126
420353
2278
環境也很重要。」
07:15
But Africa非洲 is a diverse多種 continent大陸,
127
423486
2408
但非洲是一個多元化的大陸,
07:17
with vast廣大 disparities差距 in health健康 and wealth財富
and income收入 and education教育.
128
425918
4871
無論在健康、財富、收入
和教育各方面都存在巨大差距。
07:22
If we assume承擔 that our engineers工程師
and inventors發明家 already已經 know enough足夠
129
430813
5027
如果我們假設工程師
和發明人已經足夠了解
07:27
about the different不同 African非洲人 contexts上下文
130
435864
2586
不同非洲人的背景,
07:30
to be able能夠 to solve解決 the problems問題
of our different不同 communities社區
131
438474
3841
能夠解決不同
及最邊緣化的社區問題,
07:34
and our most marginalized邊緣化 communities社區,
132
442339
1939
07:36
then we might威力 get it wrong錯誤.
133
444302
1448
那麼我們就可能弄錯了。
07:38
But then, if we on the African非洲人 continent大陸
134
446907
2595
儘管我們身處非洲大陸
07:41
don't necessarily一定 know enough足夠 about it,
135
449526
3272
對它並不一定有足夠的了解,
07:44
then perhaps也許 anybody任何人 with the right level水平
of skill技能 and commitment承諾 could fly in,
136
452822
4130
那麼任何具備適當技能和承諾的人,
都可以花一點時間傾聽和參與
07:48
spend some time listening and engaging
137
456976
2469
07:51
and fly out knowing會心 enough足夠
to invent發明 for Africa非洲.
138
459469
3257
足以重新認識非洲的人和事。
07:55
But understanding理解 context上下文 is not about
a superficial interaction相互作用.
139
463953
4315
要理解背景,不是膚淺的接觸,
08:00
It's about deep engagement訂婚
140
468292
1960
而是深入參與
08:02
and an immersion浸沒 in the realities現實
and the complexities複雜性 of our context上下文.
141
470276
4638
並沉浸在複雜的現實中。
08:07
And we in Africa非洲 are already已經 immersed沉浸.
142
475877
3142
而我們已經身處非洲,
08:11
We already已經 have a strong強大 and rich豐富
base基礎 of knowledge知識
143
479522
3673
擁有強大而豐富的知識基礎
08:15
from which哪一個 to start開始 finding發現 solutions解決方案
to our own擁有 problems問題.
144
483219
3678
可作解決自己問題的方法。
08:19
So let's not rely依靠 too much on others其他
145
487873
3016
當我們生活在擁有
無盡潛能人才的非洲大陸時,
我們就需要自立自强。
08:23
when we live生活 on a continent大陸
that is filled填充 with untapped未開發 talent天賦.
146
491548
4094
08:28
Thank you.
147
496124
1186
謝謝。
08:29
(Applause掌聲)
148
497334
2971
(掌聲)
Translated by Thomas Tam
Reviewed by Yanyan Hong

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Tania Douglas - Biomedical engineering professor
Tania Douglas imagines how biomedical engineering can help address some of Africa's health challenges.

Why you should listen

Tania Douglas's research interests include medical imaging and image analysis, the development of contextually appropriate technology to improve health and health innovation management, particularly the mechanisms of medical device innovation in South Africa.

Douglas is engaged in capacity building for biomedical engineering and needs-based health technology innovation at universities across the African continent; two such projects are "Developing Innovative Interdisciplinary Biomedical Engineering Programs in Africa," in collaboration with Northwestern University and the Universities of Lagos and Ibadan, and "African Biomedical Engineering Mobility," in collaboration with Kenyatta University, Cairo University, Addis Ababa University, the Mbarara University of Science and Technology, the University of Lagos, and the University of Pisa. 

Douglas is the founding Editor-in-Chief of Global Health Innovation, an electronic open-access journal focusing on social and technological innovation for improved health, which launches in 2018. The journal aims to serve as a platform for disseminating research on health innovation in developing settings. 

Douglas has been a Humboldt Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Neurological Research in Cologne and at the Free University of Berlin, an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London, a Visiting Professor at Kenyatta University, and a Visiting Scholar at Northwestern University. She is a fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering, a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and a Fellow of the International Academy for Medical and Biological Engineering.

 

 

More profile about the speaker
Tania Douglas | Speaker | TED.com