Of the 8.6 million US women who rely on birth control pills each year, 775,000 become pregnant unintentionally. EMME developed a pill case with an integrated hardware/software system that improves oral contraceptive pill adherence and offers guidance on how to proceed when a pill is missed. The company launched commercially in 2020 with the launch of its apps on the App Store and Google Play. The team from Stanford University participated in the E-Team program in 2017 and 2018, ASPIRE for Life Sciences/MedTech in 2018, and OPEN Minds in 2018. VentureWell invested in April 2018 in a round led by Bolt. 

Northwestern University, $19,925

A solution for ostomates (people who must collect bodily waste in external pouches) that reduces discomfort and embarrassment from pouch ballooning and gas odor through more effective and flexible adsorption of gasses and odors.

Entrenous video

Yale University, $25,000

This team has developed a portable device that can detect small amounts of pathogens and indicator bacteria in large volumes of liquid faster and cheaper than current methods.

Stanford University, $25,000

Increasing need for physical therapy (PT), coupled with ongoing reimbursement changes, is causing a demand for more accessible, higher quality PT care at lower cost. Yet poor patient PT adherence and clinic inefficiency present barriers for patients to receive, and providers to deliver, quality PT care. Footsteps is a mobile health platform that empowers patients with the tools to take control of their at-home PT program, improving patient PT adherence and more cost-efficient care delivery.

Stanford University, $20,000

HandHero is an innovative, static progressive hand splint that empowers young burn survivors to rebuild function and rejoin their community.

One in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, yet 20-50% of breast tumor removal procedures are unsuccessful, requiring patients to undergo a second surgical procedure or ionizing radiation therapy. Innoblative is developing Sira™, a saline-assisted Intraoperative Radiofrequency Ablation device, that uses bipolar current to intraoperatively create a controlled zone of ablation. Sira’s unique design and saline microinfusion system allows it to have maximum contact with target tissue and to be powered with existing electrosurgical generators. Innoblative Designs, Inc. has completed a National Science Foundation STTR Phase I grant and is working towards obtaining FDA 510(k) clearance. The team from Northwestern University first participated in VentureWell’s E-Team Program in 2013, and was also the first-place winner at the 2014 BMEidea competition. VentureWell invested in Innoblative Designs, Inc. in 2014.

innoblativedesigns.com

Stanford University, $5,000

Innoflow is a device that props open the prostatic urethra in order to enable a patient to urinate, providing relief of symptoms arising from prostate enlargement and other conditions.

Innoflow homepage

Northwestern University, $5,000

This team is developing IntelliDrain, a device designed to analyze the composition of the air emerging from leaks in patients that have undergone lung resection surgery.

Pushing a standard manual wheelchair takes a great deal of strength and can cause arm pain and hand cramping. Solutions to make pushing easier are expensive and can inhibit one’s ability to brake. IntelliWheels Inc. designed Fit Grips, an accessory that increases the circumference of the hand rim to minimize the strain on your hand, while the improved grip allows users to push with less effort. The company’s patent-pending design is now sold by over 36 distributors around the globe. The team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign participated in VentureWell’s E-Team program in 2010. VentureWell invested in the company in 2012.

www.intelliwheels.net

Cornell University, $5,000

Insomnia is among the most common health complaints, with wide-ranging cognitive and behavioral consequences. Thermoregulation plays a key role in promoting and maintaining sleep. This team is developing sleepwear that produces skin temperature changes in response to internal cues of feeling too warm or too cold, helping improve sleep.

Stanford University, $5,000

After surviving breast cancer many women are affected by a major quality of life issue: pain with sex resulting from vaginal atrophy caused by the cancer treatment. Madorra is developing a non-invasive, non-hormonal device solution for breast cancer survivors.

Madorra homepage

Purdue University

2015 BMEidea First Prize Winner

stage 2 E-Team grant winner, $25,000

The team members:

Dr. Ji-Xin Cheng, Professor
Rui Li, PhD candidate, Biomedical Engineering
Lu Lan, PhD candidate, Biomedical Engineering

Collaborators:

Dr. Pu Wang, Vibronix, Inc.
Frank P. Lloyd Jr., MD, Putman County Hospital, Indiana
Dr. Shaoxiong Chen, Indiana University School of Medicine
Dr. Craig J. Goergen, Purdue University
Linda K. Han, MD, Indiana University Health

Summary of problem & solution:

Breast-conserving surgery, or lumpectomy, is well accepted for breast cancer treatment. To prevent local cancer recurrence after lumpectomy, histology (tissue study) is performed to check whether the excised tumor specimen is surrounded by a sufficient amount of normal tissue. If a positive margin, i.e., less than 2 mm between the surfaces of the excised specimen to the tumor, is identified, then a second operation will be performed. Currently, the reoperation rate is 20~70%. This results in several problems: additional cost for the second or even third surgical operation, and emotional distress and physical pain for the patients, which highlights a critical need for rapid and highly sensitive intraoperative margin assessment. Our MarginPAT system is an intraoperative imaging tool based on multispectral photoacoustic tomography, which uniquely provides contrast of tumor and non-tumor tissue based on the difference between their optical absorption properties. Our technology can provide close to 100% detection sensitivity, three-dimensional visualization of the excised tissue, and only take less than 2 minutes procedure time, the fastest intraoperative margin assessment tool so far to our knowledge. Therefore, MarginPAT enables 1) surgeon to clear the cancer residue during the first operation, thus reducing the re-operation rate to 0%; 2) decrease the average cost of lumpectomy by close to 30%.

University of Virginia, $5,000

This team is developing a deployable head protection device to reduce trauma due to falls from unexpected muscle contraction and loss of consciousness during seizures in epileptic patients.

Clemson University, $5,000

Upper-arm tremors can be particularly disabling, making simple tasks such as writing and eating difficult. Presently, upper-arm tremor patients are limited to passive restrictive braces, neurosurgery, or dependence on medications as treatment options. This team is developing a tremor-reducing wrist brace that uses small frictional pistons to reduce unintentional movement and give patients the ability to perform fine motor tasks. The brace is a lightweight, non-powered, flexible, low-cost, medication-free solution. Tests have demonstrated effective tremor amplitude reductions of over 70%.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, $25,000

Concussions are a top concern for football players across America. The medical community has demonstrated that both concussive and sub-concussive head impacts increase a player’s risk for long-term health and mental health issues, such as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. This team is developing a new foam composite capable of reducing both the initial magnitude of impact forces by 30% and the resulting shockwave when compared to traditional foam lining, offering better protection against concussions.

Cornell University, $5,000

Traditionally, most industries disinfect surfaces by spraying or wiping disinfectants every time it is required. NTi Technology is focusing on changing the disinfection pattern by providing continual protection to the surface. NTi uses modified nanoparticles to deliver a product that not only disinfects when sprayed onto a surface, but also remains on the surface to protect it from bacteria and viruses without user intervention.

Northwestern University, $5,000

Cataract surgery involves the removal of the patient’s cloudy intraocular lens and the implantation of an artificial lens. Often, however, patients still need to wear glasses after surgery due to anatomical differences between their eyes and the artificial lens. This team is developing a higher-performing intraocular lens that is individually tailored to each patient and custom 3D-printed. An ophthalmologist will generate an accurate 3D map of the cornea and anterior segment of the eye, which will then be used as a blueprint for a lens that can be exported to a 3D printer and prototyped.

University of California, Berkeley, $5,000

Otto designs and develops assistive devices that address the progressive rehabilitation needs of patients suffering from acute neurodegenerative conditions.

University of Rochester, $25,000

Ovitz is developing a hand-held diagnostic instrument for prescribing corrective lenses that is smaller, less expensive, faster and more accurate than currently existing devices.

http://o-vitz.com

Rice University, $5,000

Current commercial oxygen analyzers are expensive for low resource settings. The OxyCal team has invented a cheaper alternative that will prevent hypoxia and death that is typically caused by faulty concentrators. The new device features a built in system that detects falling oxygen concentration during surgery and neonatal care.