StainSmart began because my team and I identified a significant issue in medical laboratories: poor slide staining, particularly in resource-limited settings where the staining process is often performed manually. This process involves a lab technician obtaining samples from a patient, placing them on a slide, and then dipping the slides into various solutions.
However, this manual approach introduces variability and potential for errors. The output can differ significantly based on the time of day or the technician's workload, which can lead to misdiagnosis. The effectiveness of the staining process is crucial for accurately identifying microorganisms that may be causing illness.
A concerning case illustrates this problem: A researcher suffering from rectal cancer received treatment based on misdiagnosed results from one laboratory. When he sought a second opinion at a different facility, he discovered that the initial test results were entirely incorrect. This situation underscores how many individuals may suffer in silence due to misdiagnosis, often without a platform to voice their concerns.
To address this pressing issue, StainSmart offers an automated slide stainer. While the initial sample collection will still involve human interaction, our solution will ensure consistency and significantly reduce variability in results. By automating the process of dipping slides into reagent containers, we aim to enhance the accuracy and reliability of diagnostic testing in laboratories. This innovation not only improves patient outcomes but also provides healthcare professionals with the confidence that their diagnostic results are precise and trustworthy.
StainSmart is quite new, as we started just last year. Our current celebration is being able to successfully register a company under which this project can be run. When we attended the Transforming African MedTech Conference in Nairobi, it was really eye opening and a very wonderful platform to connect with people from various fields and hear their different opinions about what we're doing and what help they can offer to us. The most important thing we are celebrating as a StainSmart team is having gone from an idea to a fully functioning prototype. It's a wonderful step, a wonderful milestone, because we can never go back.
Initially, we received funding from CAMTech Uganda, and that helped us run for a short while. However, the funding ended in June 2024, so we haven't yet received funding to proceed. We have a lot of things we want to incorporate into the product.
Another challenge that we face is a team. We are trying to reduce that gap by making sure that we are in constant communication everyday. There is also a lot of technical support that we will need, because this is a device that is going to be used to assess and give a diagnosis. Currently we do not have that. When we have that in place, I believe we shall go very, very far.
As an innovator, one of the things they always encourage us to do is to fall in love with the problem you're solving. If I get a very magnificent solution that does not address a particular problem, then I am probably not accomplishing much. So if you are an innovator and you're out there, remember the problem as the first thing. Even when we are pitching StainSmart, we always say the problem first because that's why we are here, to solve problems. As you're going to the next step of your development, always remember the problem you're solving and the people who are going to use this product (i.e., who you are solving the problem for).
Lastly, never take any idea lightly. As innovators, when we try to explain our innovation to someone, we can tend to use technical language, which leads to people not understanding it. You may feel discouraged. You can also go to pitch and then things don't work out. The thing is, never give up! You have a responsibility. You have to solve that problem you have identified in society.
The team at StainSmart is so happy, excited, and thrilled to work with Villgro Africa. Working with Winnie and Stacey has been invaluable. I came from Biomedical Engineering, where we had a lot of theory. When we got into the Villgro Africa program, we were then implementing what we had learned. You have to design the medical device by following the ISO 13-485 standards, and know all the regulations that are needed which is really beneficial in the process.
Through Villgro Africa, we have built a network of people—like-minded people—who we can easily reach out to in case we need any support. That kind of collaboration has helped us develop as a team. I honestly wish that we could always continue to remain part of Villgro Africa as we develop our medical devices and as we grow as innovators, because it's not just about the development but about building the kind of society that helps people thrive.