Overview

Content Warning: Some of the illustrations below depict surgery and blood. A warning will be provided before scrolling to those sections.

This instructional illustration and guide was created for hospitals in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. While most doctors in these regions speak English, some medical terminology commonly used in the United States isn't considered plain language in rural Ghana or Kenya, where these initial drafts were first designed. Collaborating with the engineers at Sisu and the dedicated doctors they work with abroad, we developed a detailed, step-by-step guide with graphic illustrations to demonstrate how to use the device for patients experiencing massive blood loss. Given the challenging conditions, these instructions were printed on durable Tyvek material.

Using the same user-interview methods that guided the initial design nearly a decade ago, Sisu continues to adapt and refine their content for specific use cases. Currently, the Hemafuse (and its instructions) is being used in emergency situations such as on the battlefield in the Ukraine war and, more commonly, for patients experiencing ectopic pregnancies or in regions where access to donor blood is limited.