PATH Program

Medical devices and health technologies

PATH's medical devices and health technologies program leads the vanguard in translating innovative ideas into breakthrough health solutions. We accelerate access to affordable, appropriate health solutions to protect and treat the communities that need them most.

Read more

Contact

What we do

Advancing critical health technologies

All too often, existing medical devices and health technologies are inaccessible because they are too expensive or impractical for use in under-resourced health settings. We respond to these challenges by developing and scaling devices and tools with the potential to address the diseases and health issues that disproportionately affect women and children in low-resource settings.

Innovations

What we do

Our global health impact

Together with our public- and private-sector partners, the Medical Devices and Health Technologies program has investigated hundreds of medical devices, health technologies, and tools and advanced the most promising and appropriate technologies into affordable commercial products for use in country health programs and global health campaigns, reaching billions of people.

See our impact
Focus areas
Health technologies for women and children

We advance medical devices and health technologies that address the primary causes of maternal, newborn, and child mortality and morbidity, and maximize public health impact by increasing availability and access to these innovations as part of integrated health systems.

Formulation technologies

We optimize, adapt, test, and validate emerging concepts, technologies, and product formats that optimize vaccine and pharmaceutical efficacy, stability, safety, and ease of use. We develop and qualify analytical assays to support development of stable vaccine and pharmaceutical products. Some examples include oral liquid formulations and sublingual and fast-dissolving tablets.

Packaging and delivery technologies

We identify and advance primary packaging and delivery innovations for vaccines and pharmaceuticals that have the potential to maximize efficacy, increase access, and reduce costs. This improves the safety, acceptability, and effectiveness of immunization and drug delivery.

Supply systems and equipment

We advance supply systems and equipment, policies, and programs to help to store, monitor, and transport vaccines at appropriate temperatures across the supply chain. This work builds stronger immunization supply and logistics systems to reach every child.

Latest news
Journals and resources

Meet the team

  1. Pat Lennon

    Acting Program Leader & Portfolio Leader: Supply Systems & Equipment

  2. Emily Jeffers

    Director of Finance and Administration

  3. Dr. Patricia Coffey

    Portfolio Leader: Health Technologies for Women and Children

  4. Courtney Jarrahian

    Portfolio Leader: Packaging & Delivery Technologies

  5. Dr. Manjari Lal

    Portfolio Leader: Formulation Technologies

  6. Steven Diesburg

    Product Development Engineering Lead

  7. Rachel Hammack

    Communications Manager

  8. Dr. Mercy Mvundura

    Technical Advisor Health Economics

  9. Joanie Robertson

    Portfolio Leader: Supply Systems and Equipment

  10. Brian Taliesin

    Global Director, Living Labs, Center of Digital and Data Excellence

  11. Dr. Jessica White

    Evaluation and Research Laboratory (EARLY) Lead

  12. Betsy Wilskie

    Procurement and Supply Technical Assistance Lead

66 Article s
  1. Picture1
    January 5, 2024

    Lessons learned from using a human-centered design approach to innovation

    Often, the simplest solutions can make the biggest impact for health care workers in service delivery, efficient processes, and streamlined products.
  2. Women at health clinic with children. Photo: PATH/Trevor Snapp
    October 19, 2023

    Advancing innovations in women's health through policy advocacy

    Innovative solutions for women’s health needs are critical to saving lives and advancing gender equality, but underfunding and inefficient regulatory systems leave millions of women unable to access high-quality, affordable products. How can advocates change the landscape?
  3. Microarray patches are a groundbreaking, needle-free technology PATH is advancing to increase access to lifesaving vaccines and other essential medicines. Photo: PATH.
    February 9, 2023

    Swapping needles for patches could improve vaccine equity

    Microarray patches are a groundbreaking needle-free technology that could radically transform how vaccines are administered, but equitable access is far from guaranteed.
  4. Elizabeth Mbengue is a pharmacist at the Pharmacie Bakh Yaye in Thies, Senegal. Photo: PATH/Gabe Bienczycki.
    September 2, 2022

    Cold chain investments vital for essential medicine delivery

    Integrating heat-sensitive medicines within the vaccine cold chain can improve access to and delivery of lifesaving care.
  5. The bag-mediated filtration system (BMFS) created by PATH and the University of Washington.
    August 24, 2022

    New tool detects poliovirus hiding in the environment

    PATH and partners created a simple device that could accelerate polio eradication and help researchers track SARS-CoV-2.
  6. PATH Product Development Engineer Erin Rowand prepares a freeze-preventive vaccine carrier for testing in PATH’s environmental test chambers. Photo: PATH.
    July 26, 2022

    Breakthrough vaccine carrier solves an invisible challenge to vaccine potency

    Freeze-preventive vaccine carriers ensure vaccines stay cold enough without freezing—especially critical when transporting vaccines to remote areas.
Next

Co-creating solutions

Living Labs

Read More