A Ghanaian clinical engineer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has developed more than 15 medical and engineering devices, including locally fabricated X-ray film and Snellen chart viewers, modified wheelchairs and a water purity tester, to address challenges confronting healthcare facilities and communities.
He is also developing a cocoa processing machine intended to mechanise cocoa pod opening and drying. However, Ing. Emmanuel Wireko-Brobby, who has over 25 years of experience in clinical engineering, says financial constraints have prevented him from submitting his inventions to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for certification and eventual commercialisation.
In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, the engineer explained that his innovations were inspired by challenges he encountered in healthcare facilities and communities. He disclosed that the devices were developed using largely locally available materials and financed from his personal income.
X-ray and Snellen Viewers
Among his innovations is an X-ray film viewer designed to illuminate conventional radiographic images. The device uses transmitted light to reveal variations in the optical density of X-ray films, enabling healthcare professionals to examine anatomical structures.
According to him, the invention followed observations at healthcare facilities where doctors sometimes held X-ray films against windows or ordinary lamps because dedicated viewing equipment was unavailable.
He explained that the device incorporates rectangular metal pipes, internal electric lamps and a translucent mica panel to distribute light across the viewing surface. Another innovation is a modified Snellen chart viewer designed for visual acuity examinations.
The equipment incorporates four rotating display sections accommodating alphabets, numerals and characters from different languages. It uses internally illuminated translucent panels, while its rotating mechanism is designed to prevent electrical cables from twisting during operation.
Wheelchairs and Phototherapy Device
Ing. Wireko-Brobby has also developed a modified wheelchair intended to facilitate patient transfers between wheelchairs and hospital beds. The innovation emerged after he witnessed patients experiencing pain while being physically lifted onto hospital beds.
His design incorporates an adjustable structure that allows part of the wheelchair to extend underneath a bed, reducing the need for manual lifting. The equipment features removable backrests and handles, with locally available metal plates and castor wheels used in its construction.
He has additionally developed a neonatal phototherapy device incorporating four independently controlled light units. Phototherapy uses light of specific wavelengths to help newborn babies eliminate excess bilirubin, which causes neonatal jaundice.Other innovations include prosthetic arms and leg-support equipment.
Water Tester and Cocoa Processing Machine
Beyond healthcare, the engineer has developed an experimental water purity tester inspired by concerns about mercury contamination associated with illegal mining.He explained that the device uses electrical conductivity to detect changes in water composition.
During an experiment, adding salt to water caused an indicator lamp to illuminate, with its brightness increasing as more salt was introduced. Although he intends the device to detect mercury, electrical conductivity alone cannot identify specific contaminants. Further development and independent testing would therefore be required.
Ing. Wireko-Brobby is also constructing a cocoa processing machine designed to mechanise cocoa pod opening and bean drying. He explained that the innovation seeks to address the unhygienic practice of drying cocoa beans along roadsides, where they may be exposed to dust and other contaminants. The project remains under development because of financial constraints.
Certification and Commercialisation
Despite his innovations, Ing. Wireko-Brobby said inadequate funding remained the greatest obstacle to commercialisation. “Everything that I have done from day one, I’ve been funding them myself,” he disclosed.
He explained that financial constraints had prevented him from meeting the costs of product testing and certification. Medical devices may also require regulatory authorisation from the Food and Drugs Authority before commercial distribution.
The engineer disclosed that during former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s administration, he wrote several letters seeking government support. He said one response indicated that his proposals had been forwarded to the ministry responsible for science and innovation, but no further engagement followed.
Ing. Wireko-Brobby urged government and corporate institutions to invest in indigenous engineering to reduce dependence on imported equipment. He received the Ghana Institution of Engineering’s Innovation Award in 2021 and Invention Award in 2022, alongside a Presidential Honour in 2023 for his contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, he was adjudged Best Technical Staff at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.
“I am just praying for financial strength to be able to bring all of them out before my maker calls me to rest,” he said.
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