Stage 1 E-Teams ($5,000)
AssistENT // Johns Hopkins University
AssistENT has developed a comfortable, discreet nasal dilator that is inserted without surgery into obstructed nostrils, instantly opening airways to improve nasal breathing.
AmbientPV // Rochester Institute of Technology
AmbientPV has developed flexible and printable solar cells that capture ambient indoor light to power small electronic devices.
BaroStitch // Stanford University
BaroStitch has created a surgical device that less-invasively sutures the femoral artery access site for high-risk patients who have undergone endovascular procedures.
gaia // Rochester Institute of Technology
Gaia works to increase independence for children with autism by developing a discreet smart apparel technology that detects stress and uses compression to mitigate meltdowns.
Gheko Technologies // University of Iowa
Gheko Technologies has developed a hand garment to assist and monitor patients with peripheral neuropathies in completing daily tasks that require fine motor control.
Husk-to-Home // University of California-Riverside
Husk-to-Home is creating a durable and sustainable building material using rice husk and recycled plastic.
Lightning Strike Mitigation Materials // Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
This team has created a simple and affordable process to manufacture flexible, conductive films for use in aerospace and on wind turbines to ensure greater durability against lightning strikes.
The MICELI // University of Arizona
The MICELI has developed a portable and inexpensive medical device that assists in blood platelet monitoring to assess urgent clotting risks at the point of care.
Respiratory Simulator, Zephyrus Simulation // University of Maine
Zephyrus Simulation LLC has developed a cost-efficient, realistic simulator to train medical professionals in diagnosing and responding to critical respiratory situations.
Smartenius N-SPACE Sensors // University of Delaware
This team has created nanocomposite sensors and an analytical system to rapidly detect and locate structural damage in infrastructure before expensive repairs are required.
Stage 2 E-Teams ($20,000)
Cadence // Stanford University
Of the 8.6 million U.S. women who rely on birth control pills each year, 775,000 become pregnant unintentionally, and 42% of those pregnancies are terminated. Cadence 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.
Capacitech Energy LLC // University of Central Florida
Capacitors are very costly inventory items for small and medium-size electronics manufacturing companies. Capacitech Energy is developing a new type of capacitor that deposits nano-whiskers on the surface of a wire, which enables manufacturers to reduce inventory costs by 30% by replacing traditional capacitors with a single spool of this new wire.
Ithemba // Johns Hopkins University
Current methods for breast cancer biopsy utilize expensive single-use devices that are not easily accessible in low-resource healthcare settings. Ithemba has created a novel, sterile-yet-reusable device that enables providers to offer minimally-invasive biopsies at a lower cost.
Sensatek // Embry Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
Energy and aviation engine operators face costly maintenance issues and down-time because current monitoring practices are unreliable at high temperatures. Sensatek Propulsion Technology, Inc. is developing a wireless monitoring system that can withstand engines’ high combustion temperatures, providing near-real-time, accurate, and actionable data that can increase efficiencies and the life of engine parts.
Smart Diagnostic Systems // Lincoln University (Jefferson City, Missouri)
Early pathogen detection is critical in helping prevent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. Smart Diagnostic Systems has created a technology that can detect and identify up to five pathogens at one time, significantly increasing speed and accuracy as compared to current technology.
TheraV // University of Delaware
Existing options to manage post-amputation pain are either ineffective, expensive, or inconvenient. TheraV offers drug-free wearable devices that employ vibration technology to manage post-amputation nerve pain.
Treyetech // Johns Hopkins University
Currently, a lack of effective tools prevents many surgeons from adopting Descemet’s Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK) for cornea transplant procedures. Treyetech has created a novel medical device to facilitate DMEK adoption among more surgeons.
VisiPlate // University of Pennsylvania
Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) currently affects 2.8 million people in the U.S. and can lead to blindness, but current treatment options have high failure rates and poor patient compliance. VisiPlate has developed a device that can reduce procedure time for ophthalmologists and improve treatment outcomes for millions of OAG patients by reducing post-operative complications.