Universidad Panamericana has been granted an innovative patent for a lightweight, durable, and portable childbirth stretcher, created to provide maternal and infant care in vulnerable communities, particularly in the Lacandon Jungle in Chiapas.
What is the “Camila Julieta”?
Developed by Dr. Fabiola Cortés Chávez, researcher at the Faculty of Engineering’s Design and Innovation Academy, in collaboration with a team of students — including Julieta Ramírez Reynoso (after whom the stretcher is named), Grecia Alejandra Chavira Hernández, Mariana Ascencio Murillo, Mariana Díaz Pinal, and Carlos Raymundo Garnier Ortiz — the Camila Julieta emerged from a process of continuous improvement.
From nine prototypes, six were selected to participate in the Diseña México Festival, standing out for their functional approach and strong human focus.
The patent was granted on June 25, a symbolic and meaningful date that also marks Julieta’s birthday.
Innovation with a Human Focus in Medical Design
Drawing from her doctoral thesis, Dr. Cortés Chávez identified shortcomings in medical device design processes: namely, the lack of consideration for hierarchies and user movements.
Her methodological proposal prioritizes identifying all actors in a medical scenario, designing use scenarios, and defining specific functions for each user.In her Engineering in Innovation and Design course, she guided groups of 40–50 students to create stretchers for different contexts. The team with Julieta focused on natural childbirth in indigenous communities, achieving a socially sensitive design.
From Competition to Patent: Challenges and Community Validation
Although the idea originated in 2021, obtaining the patent required over three years of diligence with the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI). Participation by indigenous communities in Chiapas, through an association led by Julieta’s father, was key.
The Madre Tierra community network in San Cristóbal de las Casas validated the prototype in the field and proposed improvements, incorporated into a second version focused on utility models.
The Future of the Camila Julieta: Expansion and Prototypes
Now, with the patent granted, the goal is to bring the design to more communities, potentially through an open-source model enabling them to build their own stretchers with locally available materials.
A second version, fully stainless steel, is being developed for clinics. “Many mothers still arrive in labor under emergency conditions, without enough time to reach a proper delivery room,” said Dr. Cortés.
This upgraded stretcher is already in the advanced prototype phase, with plans for both online commercialization and distribution to clinics and vulnerable communities.
Social Innovation from Universidad Panamericana
The Camila Julieta symbolizes UP’s commitment to medical innovation with social impact. By centering design on people and vulnerable communities, the university positions itself at the forefront of humanistic technological development in Mexico.
Learn more about UP research: https://www.up.edu.mx/investigacion-noticias/
