Mass Fatality Disaster Relief

Our Sterilization Roundhouse is a unique, first of its kind, design that would efficiently and inexpensively process decedents in a disaster situation, stalling further decomposition, thereby preserving tattoos, fingerprints, and identifying characteristics of each person.

Irradiation Sterilization safely, efficiently and cost effectively adds weeks to the time available to identify remains before they are too deteriorated. Thus, the Sterilization Roundhouse grants disaster workers additional time to find, research, and identify the dead.

Lastly, this preservation helps families achieve closure with a funeral.

Our design concept would also safely sterilize medical supplies and equipment using safe, affordable irradiation.

Disaster Problems Solved by Irradiation Sterilization


* Slows decomposition of human remains
* Clean Food and Water
* Sanitation
* Medical Care
* Disease Prevention (kills pathogenic bacteria, prions)

Sterilization provides sterile food, water, medical supplies, waste, miscellaneous.


Most single use products are only safe if sterile, (i.e. bandages, syringes, latex gloves.)
Sterilization ensures preservation, safety and integrity of these valuable tools.

The Mortuary Bunk Wheel is easily rotated manually by its operator.

Operating Protections Ensure Control and Reliability:


* Shielding panels
* Perimeter Guarding Devices
* Sterilization at approximately 5 cents per pound
* Cobalt-60 Source has a half life of 5 years

This design is specific to disaster relief because it's modular and can be scaled up depending on need. Single, double and triple configurations share the same irradiation source; adding efficiency without increasing processing costs.

End users are countries, states, cities, municipalities seeking recovery from natural disasters and philanthropic organizations.

* Today, food and product irradiation facilities have been proven safe, healthy solutions to problems of bacteria and decomposition.

* The CDC and World Health Organization approve of gamma irradiation use.

* Every year, millions of people die in disaster situations from lack of access to clean water, lack of proper sanitation facilities, and other preventable related diseases.

Results


* After disaster mortuary relief is completed, the irradiation facility can continue to process food and waste materials for the area. Therefore, the irradiation facility has the potential to enable economic growth for these communities while ensuring monetary gains for investment in redevelopment.

* In generating nuclear power, the use of Cobalt 59 adjusters in reactors produces a byproduct of Cobalt-60. The cost of particle accelerators doesn't correlate with the depreciation in other markets, Gamma irradiation remains the most inexpensive, efficient method of sterilizing materials for the future.

Operation


With Cobalt-60’s consistent decay rate, calculating dwell period for decontamination is accurately predictable. (Diverse batch materials of varying densities require varying doses past the cobalt-60 source for optimum treatment.) Online tracking allows for minimal attendance during operation.

Primary Work


* The robust and reliable delayed decomposition and sterilization of deceased human remains for identification, transport to families for funeral, cremation or burial.

* Also, irradiation ensures safe preservation and integrity of millions of dollars worth of trucked in relief goods such as: bandages, syringes, latex gloves. Over 40% of the world's single use medical supplies and devices are sterilized in this manner.

This project competed in the "Create the Future" Design Contest from Tech Briefs in 2011.  

See the entry details on their site.