An innovative group of Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) students participated in the School of Applied Life Sciences’ 3rd Annual Medical Device Expo on Thursday, Dec. 8.
The expo is part of the ALS 425 course titled “Device and Diagnostic Product Development” and taught by Professor Anna Hickerson.
Of the six teams competing, the Bougie Blind Stick earned the Product of the Year designation. The stick is a low cost, innovative device that alerts visually impaired users of oncoming obstructions in their path for improved safety and independence. The alerts are transmitted through increasing and decreasing vibrations.
“As second-year students, we have grown more and more comfortable with these types of group projects,” said Crystella Suos, who is in the Master of Science in Applied Life Sciences (MS) program. “Our professor, Anna, took us through all of the product engineering steps so that we could gain a valuable real-world experience.”
Each team took a different route to arriving at their product idea. For the group working on the Debendable product, the idea stemmed from the memory of an injury sustained at an undergraduate school.
“I injured my back while rowing competitively,” said Jordan Young, a Master of Business and Science (MBS) student. “Rehabilitation was very hard because I wanted to return to the same level of speed, but I wasn’t sure how much to extend to avoid repeating the injury. There was a need for a device that wasn’t heavy and wasn’t tied into computers, making it easier to wear in the boat and adapting my posture in real-time so I’m not overextending my lower back.”
Complete list of products featured at the expo:Bougie Blind StickThe stick is a low cost, innovative device that alerts visually impaired users of oncoming obstructions in their path for improved safety and independence. The alerts are transmitted through increasing and decreasing vibrations.
Sleep DetectiveNot getting a goodnight's sleep? Sleep easier with our revolutionary sleep mask. We will track your sleep so you can stay on track when you are awake.
Under Pressure 120The Under Pressure 120 is a revolutionary device that continuously monitors patient blood pressure without the uncomfortable cuff.
DebendableThe 'Debendable' is a low-cost solution to minimizing muscle strain and injuries that can be easily applied by any customer with the application of a flexible strain sensor within customized athletic tape to any injury-prone or injured joints and muscles.
iRescueA fall alert system that works off of GPS and cellular signal to automatically send help after someone has fallen and injured themselves.
BBOPSThe Baby Bottle Optimized Pressure Sensor (BBOPS) uses sophisticated algorithms to accurately measure real-time sucking pressure and food intake— metrics used to track infant development. BBOPS even lets you easily share this information with family and physicians.