3 Dream Devices Take Top Honors in MedTech Design Contest
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Oct. 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- MD+DI (Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry), UBM Canon's leading brand providing the medical device industry with the latest news, information, and in-depth analysis, announces the winners of the inaugural Dare-to-Dream MedTech Design Challenge.
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In August, the editors of MD+DI asked the MedTech community to dream up a device that would tackle healthcare problems both big and small. To determine the winners, MD+DI editors reviewed dozens of submissions and unveiled 10 finalists in September selected for their creativity, technical feasibility, design, and potential impact on healthcare. Readers then voted for their favorite medical device pitch from the field of 10 finalists; winners were determined by combining the editors' scores with reader votes.
The first place winner is the mHolter, submitted by Lorenzo Valacca. The mHolter is a biomedical smartphone app connected to skin electrodes that monitor heart activity around the clock to aid in diagnoses.
"Convenient and user-friendly, the mHolter represents a creative—yet feasible—medical application of smartphone technology," notes Shana Leonard, executive editor of the UBM Canon MedTech Group. "The device presents a modern, meaningful solution for obtaining more-consistent and accurate data that, in turn, can potentially impact decision making and improve patient outcomes."
The first runner up was awarded to MyoSense: Intelligent Athletic Tape, able to collect data on how muscles work and alert the wearer of an injury before it gets worse. The device uses thin skin electrodes and wireless technology. Nicholas Su submitted the first-runner-up entry.
"Both from a conceptual and design standpoint, MyoSense embodies where digital healthcare is headed - creating the 2.0 version of already common devices and procedures," says Chris Wiltz, associate editor of MD+DI. "It takes something (athletic tape) that is already ubiquitous in medicine and improves upon it with Big Data functionality. The result is a device that is not only affordable and therapeutic but also preventive."
In third place is the Intracranial Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Regulator. The entry, submitted by Bob Paddock, was inspired by a personal experience; his wife committed suicide after an excruciating headache that resulted from cerebrospinal fluid leakage.
"The inspiration for this dream device obviously came from a very personal place," says Jamie Hartford, managing editor of MD+DI. "The Intracranial Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Regulator is a novel improvement over the standard of care for intracranial hypotension caused by cerebrospinal fluid leaks, a condition that can cause devastating headaches. I like that it uses wireless power transfer, which is really the next step for implantable devices."
MD+DI would like to thank all participants and those who voted for participating in MD+DI's first Dare-to-Dream MedTech Design Challenge.
For almost 35 years, Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI) has served the industry as the leading source of in-depth news, information, and business intelligence. MD+DI's content teamoffers authoritative perspectives and provides valuable reference on the full range of medical device industry issues. In addition to in-depth technical articles authored by leading subject matter experts, broader features offer overviews of key business, industry, and regulatory topics and trends.
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SOURCE Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MD+DI)
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