A UK-funded inflatable operating theatre that fits into a backpack is set to revolutionise surgery in emergencies when doctors are forced to operate on the hoof.

Despite its Heath Robinson-like appearance, the SurgiBox will be a boon for doctors working in conflict zones and humanitarian crises, such as earthquakes and other natural disasters, when they have to operate quickly, in the open air and with minimal equipment.

One of the biggest problems for medics in the field is finding a sterile environment in which to operate. But the SurgiBox, part funded by the Department for International Development, completely covers a patient and provides a sealed, hygienic area for doctors to work in.

“It’s incredibly exciting because SurgiBox creates the opportunity to make safe surgery accessible,” the inventor, Dr Debbie Lin Teodorescu, told The Telegraph. “It’s not just a good operating room, but a better than state-of-the-art operating room.”

The idea is to shrink a whole operating theatre into one backpack. The tent-like enclosure is made of single-use, clear plastic to ensure no cross contamination between operations.