With technology, the only thing that never changes is change itself. This past weekend, 55 students had 48 hours to design new concepts, with an emphasis in medical technology, at Aggies Invent, which is hosted by the Texas A&M University College of Engineering. From devices to manage cholesterol to an apparatus that would induce hypothermia in a heart attack victim — students emerged better prepared to tackle real-world problems with life-saving capabilities.
Joining the Texas A&M engineering participants were students from other universities who are participating in the Undergraduate Summer Research Grant Program. Students in Texas A&M’s EnMed program and those studying biomedical engineering were also strongly encouraged to participate.
In the end, it was team SonoCentesis who took home the first-place award — $1,000. The team was comprised of four biomedical engineering students who developed a solution for patients suffering from ascites, or an abnormal collection of fluid in the abdomen. The device would use modified ultrasound transducer technology to scan the abdomen and predict the depth of fluid pockets in order to drain the fluid. The current procedure has an increased risk for missing the fluid pockets, perforating organs or hitting blood vessels.
For teammate Tawfik Hussein, this Aggies Invent allowed him to combine his interest in medicine with his love of engineering. The senior said this was the first time he has participated in an Aggies Invent.
“Ascites is very common in the developing world and the developed world, and it can cause a lot of discomfort to patients,” Hussein said.
For senior Kendrick Lim, the project inspired him.
“When we first entered the competition, we had no idea how to solve this problem,” he said. “The time constraint is good because it limits you from trying to figure out every technical aspect and focus on the big picture instead.”
Junior Niloufar Jafari enjoyed being able to work with her friends and classmates on a project outside the classroom.
“It was interesting to me, and since my major is biomedical, I want to create devices that are helpful,” she said.
Senior Samantha Sliva said the event was more fun than she anticipated.
“I didn’t think we would come up with such a solid idea,” she said. “The solution already in place worked well, but all the complications involved have to do with human error. By designing a device that could eliminate human error would be a good opportunity.”
The second-place team, Lift, created a device that could help move a patient under anesthesia from the surgical table to the hospital bed in order to be transported to their room. Teammates were Josh Allers, Mario Mendoza, Hunter Tellet, Kyle King, Martin Kao and Nathan Blackmon.
The third-place team, DATA M.D., designed technology that would use social media and other data to help predict patterns in emergency rooms to better help hospitals schedule their staff.
The next Aggies Invent will take place Sept. 28-30 in the brand-new Fischer Engineering Design Center located in the Zachry Engineering Education Complex.
