Student Design Showcase + Networking Event

The surgical tool utilized in transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT), known as the resectoscope, has undergone little change in the past century, leading to poor outcomes and high recurrence rates. The standard resectoscope consists of a rigid outer sheath, an electrical loop for tissue resection, an optical telescope, and an irrigation system to maintain a clear field of view. In contrast, our proposed device modifies the fluid mechanism via two complementary subcomponents: a transurethral sheath with distinct inflow and outflow pathways and an endoscopic wide-angle camera system that increases the space available for tumor fragment removal. Additionally, we have added a pair of piston-damping elements symmetrically within the handle assembly, improving cancer resection speed and control. Together, this design enables significant reductions in tumor cell dispersion in the bladder by optimizing cell removal efficiency and vacuum output, while improving ergonomics and control.

Student Team: Angela Cai, Bryan Medina, Diane Moturi, Sanjay Soni, Mira Srinivasa, Catherine Stidham, Sam Zhang
Rice University Department of Bioengineering

Reel-IV is an adaptive, two-part system designed to reduce IV line dislodgement in pediatric patients by enabling safe, controlled mobility without altering existing clinical workflows.The system integrates a near-patient tension-sensing cord with a motorized spool that dynamically adjusts tubing length in real time. When excessive tension is detected, the device automatically releases slack to reduce pull on the catheter, then rewinds once safe conditions are restored. This approach maintains a closed sterile fluid path while enabling greater patient mobility and reducing interruptions in care. By addressing both safety and workflow inefficiencies, Reel-IV has the potential to significantly decrease IV failure rates and improve patient experience in hospital settings.

Student Team: Priya Agarwal, Nicole Mirzaian, Anushka Gandhi, Yerahm Hong, Ayma Waqar
University of Pennsylvania

The Secure Nasogastric Unit for Growth (S.N.U.G.) is a device designed to reduce nasogastric tube (NGT) migration and accidental removal in preterm neonates. Current securement methods rely on adhesives placed on the cheek, which can irritate sensitive skin and still allow tube displacement. The S.N.U.G. instead stabilizes the NGT along the forehead while maintaining proper tube function and improving overall stability.

Student Team: Atif Qureshi, Ethan Ranft, Julien Barsch
University of Iowa

Our project focuses on detecting and preventing hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs), specifically on the heel. The design uses a force-sensitive resistor attached to the outer surface of a Mepilex heel dressing to measure pressure on the patient’s heel and illuminate a green, yellow, or red LED to alert hospital staff of the current risk of a pressure injury.

Student Team:
Brianna Cannoy, Carmen Didelot, Kate Pavletich, Kristen Strathman
University of Iowa

VitaCharge is a low-cost powered rechargeable IO drill made to combat industry leaders in IO access by offering care providers a more affordable and reliable powered IO drill. The new and improved IO device is able to be affordable by only using the essential components without sacrificing performance. VitaCharge uniquely utilizes the Luer-Lock needle systems to enable the drill to be compatible with standard 18-gauge needles. VitaCharge provides an adapter to securely connect the output link of the drill motor to a Luer-Lock hub of an 18-gauge needle. 18-gauge needles are among the most widely-accessible needle sizes in hospitals, particularly for procedures requiring rapid fluid administration and high-volume infusion settings. As a result, 18-gauge needles are in abundance in clinics, making VitaCharge a much more appealing powered IO drill. The adapter snugly fits onto the drill output link and captures the needle by fastening it in place by threading the needle’s Luer-Lock hub in the opposite direction of the motor rotation.

Student Team: Ayan Jama, Aliyah Cerbins, Andrew Skarohlid, Azhar Dakane, and Leah Gonsiorowski
University of Minnesota

We have created VibraStep, a standing device with a touchscreen user interface that 1) utilizes a vibrating footplate to screen for peripheral neuropathy in the feet, a major diabetic foot ulcer risk factor, and 2) probes for other risk factors contributing to ulceration via a questionnaire. In the clinic, peripheral neuropathy can be diagnosed by the loss of vibration sensation. However, this requires patients to have access to a healthcare provider, which is not feasible for many individuals in low-resource communities due to significant geographic and financial barriers. As such, Team SoleSearch is fulfilling an unmet clinical need by creating a free-to-use, publicly available device that identifies diabetic foot ulcer risk factors to promote earlier intervention and reduce the rate of diabetic ulcer-related amputations in underserved communities.

Student Team: Victoria Albanese, Luisanny Del Orbe, C. Rei Guo, Alex Taylor

The Head/Skull Clamp (HC) is a standard tool used to hold a patient's skull rigid during neurosurgery. Setup of the HC requires manual tightening by the surgeon, with the average force applied by the three pins communicated to the surgeon by an analog force indicator. The current indicator is imprecise, difficult to read, and often distrusted or ignored by surgeons. Additionally, the system provides no information about whether force is evenly distributed across the pins. When the clamp is over- or under-tightened, or when forces are unevenly distributed, complications can arise, including lacerations, skull fractures, and, in severe cases, even brain injury. To address these issues, we developed a system to provide accurate and intuitive real-time force measurements for both the overall force exerted by the clamp and by each individual pin. A sensor placed at the interface between the head clamp and each pin converts local deformation into force measurements, which are then displayed to the surgeon through a clear, easy-to-interpret interface. Importantly, because the system retrofits onto existing clamps without modifying surgical technique, it can be adopted with current clinical workflows. By enabling continuous real-time monitoring and alerting of per-pin loading, this system has the potential to reduce force-related complications during surgical setup and throughout the procedure.

Student Team: Amanda Li, Saagar Arya, Anna Brusoe, Lindsay Chetkof
Duke University

SensAIR is a wearable device that continuously detects pediatric respiratory distress before it becomes a clinical emergency. Current practice relies on subjective visual assessment, potentially delaying intervention by up to 2-4 hours and contributing to the 34% mortality rates in unrecognized respiratory failure. SensAIR's integrated multimodal sensors deliver objective, real-time data in a lightweight, cable-free patch, notifying clinicians immediately to changes in respiratory status. This novel solution enables clinicians to intervene immediately to prevent continued respiratory decline and provides valuable insight into the effectiveness of ordered therapies. SensAIR transforms respiratory care from reactive crisis management to proactive early intervention.

Student Team: Zachary Huang, Ethan Maclam
Rice University

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) is a safe, real-time imaging technique used to measure cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV). To measure CBFV, a skilled operator uses an ultrasound probe to find a Doppler signal from blood flow, but since the vessel location varies for each person, locating the signal can be time-consuming. ATLAS offers a lightweight, affordable, fast, and easy-to-use automated TCD fixation device. Human testing demonstrated that the same middle cerebral artery could be found with the automated fixation device as by hand and that the time requirement for both experienced and inexperienced TCD operators was similar. This device will allow rapid, repeatable scans and expand clinical and research use.

Student Team: Zach McWilliams, Kaden Al Obaidi, Daniel Bashtovoi
University of Nebraska-Lincoln

P-LEGS is a portable control system for a pediatric lower-limb exoskeleton designed to support overground gait rehabilitation in children ages 4–8 with conditions such as cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury. The system uses an onboard microcontroller to coordinate motion across six joints — bilateral hip, knee, and ankle — and communicates with a touchscreen interface that allows clinicians to intuitively command actions like standing, sitting, and walking. Built-in safety monitoring continuously checks for faults and triggers an automatic stop when needed. P-LEGS enables untethered, therapy-center-ready rehabilitation without requiring specialized technical personnel to operate.

Student Team: Gaby Zino, Ali Ardda, Mohammed Alnakhalah, Samy Abusaif, Tareq Husseini
University of Houston

Phantom limb pain (PLP) affects over 82% of lower-limb amputees and remains difficult to treat effectively with existing single-modality interventions. We present Phantodigm, a low-cost, non-invasive, at-home therapeutic device that integrates transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), augmented reality (AR) visual therapy, and electroencephalography (EEG)-based machine learning (ML) feedback in a closed-loop system. A smartphone-based visual interface provides real-time mirror therapy, while EEG signals acquired from four dry scalp electrodes drive an ML classifier that adaptively adjusts TENS stimulation frequency to match the patient’s current pain state. Phantodigm represents a novel, multi-modal approach to at-home PLP management that does not require synchronous clinical supervision.

Student Team: Riya Mitra, Jennifer Yoo, Claire Zhang, Emily Zhang, Carly Zhao
University of Pennsylvania

Trismus refers to functional impairment of mouth opening to less than 35 mm, and patients with this condition experience pain, stiffness, difficulties speaking, swallowing, eating, and other normal oral behaviors. Often, patients treated for head and neck cancers present with trismus as the surgical, radiotherapeutic, and chemotherapeutic treatments for cancer cause fibrosis of tissues surrounding targeted tumors. Following cancer survival, patients often need extensive rehabilitation, reconstructive surgery, or prostheses to regain functional ability. These treatments result in increased expenditures for the patients, which limit their ability to afford the current standard of care devices which are around 500-600 USD. These devices allow the patient to independently stretch their jaw at home, and this methodology has been shown effective in reducing the burden of trismus for patients. Current low-cost solutions are limited by patient discomfort and poor jaw-mimicking behaviors. Therefore, we present UnlockJaw, a low-cost alternative designed to mimic jaw physiology while introducing a new, continuous locking mechanism.

Student Team: Alyssa Birchmeier, Noah Rovi, Savannah McCartney
University of Alabama at Birmingham

Respiratory Rate (RR) is the earliest and most sensitive indicator of health deterioration in illnesses such as COVID-19, pneumonia, sepsis, and malaria- often changing hours before life-threatening events. Despite its importance, RR is often undermeasured in hospital and home settings, especially in low-resource regions, where existing monitoring devices are costly, require training to use, and are only available in clinical settings. This gap leads to delayed medical intervention and preventable mortality. BreatheAid is a low-cost, accurate, unobtrusive, at-home dual sensor monitoring device that measures nasal airflow and detects chest motion with a wearable nasal cannula and comfortable chest strap. A handheld device will display respiratory rate and warning lights to indicate three common categories of RR abnormality. Doctors can customize breathing thresholds, tailoring them to each patient. Empirical research indicates that BreatheAid fills a significant gap in the market and has a high impact potential. This design can significantly decrease the escalation of respiratory illness and help detect critical changes earlier.

Student Team: Zahra Chasmawala, Aanya Pandey, Kay Zachary
Washington University in St. Louis

Our design is a piezoresistive pressure-sensing mat developed to provide a simple, cost-effective method for analyzing plantar pressure distribution during walking. The system uses four force-sensitive resistors arranged in a 2×2 configuration to detect pressure at key foot regions, converting mechanical force into measurable voltage signals through a voltage divider circuit. These signals are collected in real time and processed using LabVIEW to generate an intensity-based heat map, allowing visualization of pressure patterns throughout the gait cycle and calculation of the center of pressure. This approach enables clear identification of major gait phases, such as heel strike and push-off, while offering a more accessible alternative to traditional, high-cost gait analysis systems.

Student Team: Makayla Schmidt, Sophia Kolb, Anthony Nguyen
University of Nebraska-Lincoln