The Barium Brick Solution

The specific problem that we are working to solve aligns to rare diseases. There is a need to better rare disease R&D outcomes but also decrease associated environmental costs. Various types of concrete are commonly used as primary shielding materials in medical radiation facilities, including diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy rooms. However, in low-income countries like Uganda, lead shielding is currently utilized to mitigate radiation effects during patient monitoring and cancer treatments. Although lead shielding is intended to be effective, it presents potential health hazards due to lead dust, which can be released through corrosion, abrasion, or cutting of lead objects. Additionally, lead is a weak structural material with tendency to lose uniformity, necessitating regular maintenance and inspections that can be challenging in resource-constrained settings like Uganda. 

Moreover, lead is a toxic substance that poses risks to both human health and the environment if not handled properly. Improper disposal or degradation of lead shielding can result in soil or water contamination, affecting ecosystems and further jeopardizing human health. The use of concrete-based radiation shields has disadvantages, such as high cost, difficulty in use, and opaqueness to visible light, making it impossible to see through them.

While lead is a suitable shielding option for energies encountered in radiation protection, The Atomic Energy Council would like to promote use of other materials, in demonstration of shielding adequacy.

With our solution, we target to minimize ionizing radiation waste and containing the radiation using the locally available materials. Further analysis was undertaken with respect to resource-use implications (cement, water, soil) of employing Mortarless technology. We can conclude that the flexibility requirements on Mortarless technology for wall construction can be fully met, which will further boost market opportunities of interlock bricks. The self-aligning characteristic of interlock bricks eases brick-laying, encouraging the use of less skilled manpower and realizing higher productivity. Apart from savings of material, this all-process energy, and save time due to higher productivity resulting in an ultimate cost saving of around 70%.

In addition to saving, less cost will be incurred in terms of maintenance since lead shielding requires regular maintenance and inspection to ensure effectiveness as a result of deterioration overtime. The barium bricks will be more effective since they are installed once, thus favorable to low income countries where resources are limited to ensure timely lead shield maintenance. Concerning the environment improper disposal of shielding will be limited, thus reducing cancers that would occur due to water pollution.  This will also prevent insidious health hazard due to lead dust which may become airborne, contaminate floors and other nearby surfaces and be inadvertently inhaled by patients.

The barium brick solution targets the workers and patients most especially the radiographers who are trained in radiation safety protocols currently, lead shielding is utilized to mitigate radiation effects during patient monitoring and cancer treatments however it is less effective as compared to the barium brick since lead shielding that deteriorates over time.. Barium brick is more effective compared to lead shielding. brick-laying, requires less skilled manpower, and enhances productivity, resulting in significant cost savings of approximately 70%.

Barium bricks also targets  low-income countries where resources for timely lead shield maintenance are limited since barium brick  eliminates  the need for regular maintenance and inspections 

Furthermore, the adoption of barium bricks targets the population that are affected by diseases associated with improper disposal  of lead sheets  through  water pollution. It also mitigates health hazards associated with lead dust becoming airborne and inadvertently inhaled by patients, as barium bricks do not generate dust.

ECUREI is the leading Ultrasound and medical imaging institute in East and Central Africa and attracts students from various countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, D.R. Congo, Sudan, Zambia, Ghana, UK, USA, India and Holland. Through our practical approach and tailored programmes, our ECUREI staff closely work with all our students as mentors and advisors. Through this, we have become more effective at ensuring knowledge transfer and skills empowerment for our students to be agents of change in their countries of origin as champions of change. Our team utilizes their expertise and knowledge in the fields of Ultrasound, Cold Chain Storage and Instrumentation, Medical Imaging & Radiography, Physiotherapy and Biomedical Engineering, Ophthalmology, Nursing and Midwifery. 

In addition, ECUREI provides medical imaging services to Mengo referral Hospital with its team and students actively at the fore-front.

We currently face limited financing options at the institutional level where we are unable to access financing to be able to scale our innovations despite the technical abilities to do so. There is generally limited funding for supporting our innovations and yet the need is there. There is also limited technological advances in health technology especially in the developing countries where access to the basic health facilities remain a challenge. 

The funding will enable us to develop an improved version of the barium brick making machine that is more efficient and effective, with a larger capacity to meet the potential market demand that we anticipate. This is because we have existing partnerships with health facilities across the country where our activities were focused.

ECUREI is the subcontractor of medical imaging services to Mengo Hospital and our students actively participate as trainees during their tenure with the institute. On graduation, all our students are deployed to the communities to deliver services to the communities especially dealing with the marginalized poor and rural based populations. The government of Uganda has currently approved that medical imaging and ultrasound services be deployed even at health center level in the communities and our students will take lead in this initiative. The team leader is connected to the communities through the mentorship, skilling and training provided to ECUREI teams so that they are able to expand the impact and reach.

The introduction of mortarless walling technology using interlocking stabilized-soil-barium bricks for radiation shielding offers a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable solution. It addresses the limitations and drawbacks associated with lead shielding, making it a promising alternative for low-income countries like Uganda with limited resources. The solution is a market disruptor in that we shall provide a cheaper alternative of lead solutions and cement that are not sustainable. In the long run, the barium brick is more affordable and durable.

Over the next five years, we have set the following goals:

1. To productize and bring to market the fully developed barium brick machine to make the barium brick the best alternative for utilization in medical facilities
2. To reduce radiation related infections and exposures by over 60% over the next 5 years
3. To obtain patents for the barium brick machine and the barium brick
4. To expand to affiliate institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa like Zanzibar, Malawi and Zambia

The goals will be achieved with the technical competence of our seasoned medical professionals and quality assured by our institution board and management. More so, we shall be able to generate sales to enable us produce more units of the machine. We shall also be able to train over 3,000 youth and women in utilization of the machine across the country. 

To measure the progress towards our impact goals, we shall key performance indicators as the metrics that will be tracked over the period.

These will include:

1. Number of barium bricks produced, 

2. Number of barium bricks sold

3. Number of health facilities enrolled 

4. Number of MOU agreements signed to adopt the technologies

5. Number of jobs created

6. Number of women and youth trained in barium brick manufacturing

With the development and roll out of the barium brick machine, we shall be able to support over 200 health facilities to build barium walling. Through this, we shall be able to reduce the exposure to radiation emissions that would otherwise have led to cancer. Therefore our desired outcome is that cancer caused by radiation emission will be eliminated in Uganda in the next 10 years.

The team is comprised of 5FTEs and 3 part-time staff under training and mentorship.

1-2 years

Diversity: At ECUREI, we appreciate, utilize  and leverage the many differences of our staff and the larger community where we work. In our programming, we design and onboard participants from East Africa, Central Africa, South Africa, and globally across the world.  

Equity: ECUREI has put in place policies, practices, and created platforms that provide equal opportunities for all to thrive and participate equitably. 

Inclusion: At ECUREI, we have created an environment that enables all people to feel valued and respected with the belief that everyone has a contribution they make towards the betterment of the institution. Solve specifically seeks to support social entrepreneurs who use human-centered, inclusive technologies to solve world challenges. We know that when solutions are designed with the most underserved populations in mind, they benefit everyone. 

50% of our SMT is composed of women occupying positions including the Academic Registrar, Students’ Dean, Heads of departments, facilitators and student support technical leads.

We have developed the barium brick machine that has a production capacity of 3,800 bricks per day. With just one machine, we’d be able to produce over 90,000 bricks over a month’s period. Through the Ministry of Health and the Atomic Energy council - which regulates and certifies all institutions with radiation emitting machinery and equipment, we shall be able to expand our reach to various public and private health facilities across the country.

Our business model creates value to our clients by providing the barium brick as a sustainable cost effective and environmentally sustainable alternative for lead in ultrasound and medical imaging facilities. Our primary market will be public health facilities, private medical facilities - hospitals and clinics; and any other imaging centers. We shall therefore implement a B2C model for this project at the start but will also be able to consider options where we sign dealerships with other brand across other countries. 

In order to fund our work in the long run, we shall generate revenue through product sales of the barium bricks. We shall also patent our solution and will generate revenue from interested individuals or institutions who would intend to produce the barium  brick using our machine and/or technology. ECUREI will undertake a pay-for-product model in which we charge up to UGX 3,000 per brick.

We shall sign agreements and enter into partnerships with institutions like the Atomic Energy Council, and other world wide recognized institutions like World Health Organization in order to build a sustainable project.

Our product is still in the development phase and much of the funding has been internally raised from the institution’s budget allocation. However, to achieve the scale we envisage and proceed with market entry, we shall need a component of grant financing. In the past, we have implemented over 8 projects with donors and institutions like the Government of the Netherlands, University of Washington, World Bank and USAID among others.