Hypoxia, the deprivation of oxygen at the tissue/cellular level, is often associated with pneumonia, accounting for roughly 14% of deaths among children below the age of 5 in areas with a low degree of development (World Health Organization, 2022). Consistent oxygen intake is essential for the human body, especially regarding its biological and chemical processes; however, conventional oxygen systems are often impractical in low resource settings. Through our study of this field, we aim to develop an oxygen system that is scaffold mediated, allowing the diffusion of materials that carry oxygen into bacterial cellulose matrices. Under these conditions, oxygen absorption, fluid retention, and release kinetics will be measured across various scaffold configurations. In conclusion, the goal of our project is to develop a scaffold-mediated oxygen delivery platform that can provide sustainable and localized oxygen to support aerobic-based biological processes in children without relying on continuous external oxygen sources.

Keywords

Sustainability, Healthcare efficiency, Medical Services, Pediatrics