Johns Hopkins University

2015 BMEidea Second Prize Winner, TREAT Prize Winner

stage 1 E-Team grant winner, $5,000

The team members:

Dr. Soumyadipta Acharya, Graduate Program Director and Assistant Research Professor

Erin Reisfeld, M.S.E. Bioengineering Innovation & Design, 2015

Ian Graham, M.S.E. Bioengineering Innovation & Design, 2015

Melody Tan, M.S.E. Bioengineering Innovation & Design, 2015

Shruthi Rajan, M.S.E. Bioengineering Innovation & Design, 2015

David Blumenstyk, M.S.E. Bioengineering Innovation & Design, 2015

Summary of problem & solution:

Tremtex is working in conjunction with clinical and research partners at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine to develop an intervention to help Parkinson’s disease patients manage their debilitating motor symptoms. Parkinson’s disease is an incurable, neurodegenerative disorder that affects over 1 million people in the United States and 7 million people worldwide. The standard of care for Parkinson’s disease is medication; however, the effectiveness of medication wanes as the disease progresses. Another option for patients in advanced stages of the disease is deep brain stimulation, an expensive and invasive surgical procedure with strict eligibility criteria. This leaves a significant number of patients without an effective intervention. Tremtex is addressing this gap by providing a low-risk solution for patients whose symptoms are under-managed with existing interventions. The team has designed, STIMband, a non-invasive electrical stimulation device, which delivers low and safe doses of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), to the motor cortices of the brain. The result is the reduction of motor symptoms, including tremors, and improved mobility. STIMband has been designed to ensure patient safety and usability, allowing patients to receive treatment within the comfort of their homes.

University of Alabama, $5,000

Viastem is developing a mechanical cell-dissociator for bioreactors, an accessory to large-scale stem cell bioprocessing.

University of Minnesota, $5,000

Beyond aesthetic concerns, varicose veins signal underlying problems, including greater risk of developing pain, skin ulceration, infection, and venous thrombosis. Current noninvasive treatments for varicose veins include compression garments and external pumps, while invasive methods include laser ablation and vein stripping. This team is developing a low-cost, lightweight, wireless compression garment that uses vibrations to create better blood flow along a patient’s legs, preventing varicose veins from worsening. The device works by transmitting vibrations along a ribcage-like structure, applying mechanical energy to the lower leg and enhancing blood-flow.

University of Colorado Denver, $5,000

Rescue helicopters often need to use a hoisting system to get victims into the helicopter. During this process, injuries and unsuccessful missions can occur due to the chaotic pendulum motion when lowering the hoisting cable. This E-Team has designed a pendulum control mechanism to minimize the swinging motion, therefore decreasing injuries and increasing the survival rate of missions.

The City College of New York, $5,000

Wavergy has developed an ocean wave energy-capturing device that efficiently utilizes waves’ full motion.

University of Houston, $20,000

WAVVE Stream is developing material product enhancements for industrial water filtration applications in various industries. WAVVE Stream technologies are patented materials in both a coating and resin-bead application form that were created to be easily integrated onto existing products for contaminant removal and biofilm control. They are applicable on a variety of surface areas and systems including filter membranes, filter systems, glass, and ceramic surfaces, among others.

Johns Hopkins University, $5,000

This team is developing AccuSpine, a new probe that will allow surgeons to more accurately place pedicle screws during spinal fusion procedures.

http://whitelightmedical.com

West Virginia University, $5,000

WindPax is developing portable, collapsing power generating/power storage wind turbine devices. These rugged, lightweight devices can be easily shipped, transported and carried within backpacks. Two products are envisioned: a 25-watt Wisp and 100-watt Breeze.

Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus, $20,000

Clinical treatment of bacterial infections, especially in acute cases of sepsis and urinary tract infections, requires antibiotic susceptibility tests. These tests diagnose antibiotic resistance bacteria to determine the appropriate antibiotic regimen and currently take several days to complete. This long time-frame poses a risk to a patient’s life and morbidity. The Zero2One team has developed a new imaging and tracking method to perform real-time, point-of-care, and automated antibiotic susceptibility testing, which will improve clinical diagnostics, reduce healthcare costs and save lives.