Monday, April 8th, 2024 witnessed the annual Bench-2-Bedside Medical Innovation competition at the Utah State Capitol building, led by a cadre of BME student organizers and the University’s Center for Medical Innovation.   BME students have often spearheaded the months-long organization of this event, and this year’s competition was no exception:  Utah BME’s Amanda Lematty (President), Robert Falconer (VP), Parker Mason (VP), Sam Nelson (VP), Monika Buczak (ambassador), and Peyton King (ambassador) did the heavy lifting to ensure another successful event drawing multi-disciplinary teams with company start-up value propositions and new technology both state-wide and from as far as Ohio.

Student teams showcased their innovative solutions to problems facing today’s health care professionals in a gala-style event, meeting with competition judges, industry professionals, technology advocates, mentors, investors, University leadership, state economic development officials, local corporate sponsors, community members, family, and friends. After an evening of networking and celebration, an awards ceremony announced the winners of the competition across various categories, and sent winning teams home with nearly $100,000 in milestone funding for further medical product pursuit.

 

Since its inception in 2010, the State’s Bench to Bedside Program has launched hundreds of next-generation medical device ideas through commercial leveraging, awarded over $1.3M in milestone funding to winning teams, and given over 1400 students from across Utah first-hand experience with healthcare innovation and technology transfer.

BME students won prizes in 8 categories during this annual event held at the state’s capitol. There were also 6 BME students, both past and present, on the Bench to Bedside (B2B) leadership team and played a pivotal role in making this successful event an evening to be remembered.

Our BME students who took home B2B 2024 prizes are:

 

Grand Prize Winners:

C-Blu: C-Blu’s blue light colposcope increases the sensitivity and specificity of cervical cancer screening. Colposcopes are a tool used by clinicians to shine a light on and image the cervix when screening for cancer. To decrease high false negative rates, C-Blu has developed a colposcope that uses fluorescent properties of cancerous cells to make pre-cancerous lesions easier for clinicians to identify. Grand Prize Award – $20,000

 

C-Blu comprises 5 UU BME bioDesign students currently finishing their junior year and will complete our bioDesign sequence in the Fall. (Libby Brooks, Derek Lewis, Ryleigh Smith, Nathan Wallace, Ethan Betts).

OrthoBolt: OrthoBolt LLC fills the gaps of the increasing challenges in spinal procedures, particularly in patients with osteoporosis, through the design of an expandable pedicle screw optimized with cutting-edge rotating strut technology. These screws offer optimal anchoring in both healthy and compromised bone, reducing the risk of complications associated with traditional screw fixation methods. Grand Prize Runner-Up – $10,000

 

 Orthobolt team member Mitch Kirkham is our BME undergrad degree alumnus and is currently enrolled at UU School of Medicine.

SoundPass: SoundPass is a revolutionary ultrasound guidance system designed to offer neurosurgeons live intracranial imaging before and during the critical placement of life-saving external ventricular drains. This represents a huge paradigm shift within neurosurgery and addresses a well-known century-old clinical conundrum that has yet to be satisfactorily addressed. Legacy Grand Prize – $15,000

 

SoundPass team member Jordan Johnson is our BME undergrad degree alumnus and is currently enrolled at UU School of Medicine.

Patient Safety Award:

Code Clock: A device used to optimize the care and communication among code team members in the setting of a cardiac arrest in an effort to improve patient survival. Patient Safety Technology Challenge – $10,000

 

Two students on this Code Clock team (Josh Whiting and Diego Perez) are current BME PhD students. 

Best In Category Winners:

CathSecure: The CathSecure product aims to provide a method for a more securely attaching a shunt to a valve during surgical procedures, minimizing the risk of post-operative dislodgement and improving patient outcomes. Best in Business – $5,000

 

One Cath Secure team member (Anit Jhaveri )is an undergrad BME student.

Electronic Grip Gauge (EGG) NeuroRobotic Technologies: NeuroRobotic Technologies, LLC (NRT) is developing a new fine sensorimotor assessment and rehabilitation tool for the hand, dubbed the Electronic Grip Gauge (EGG). The EGG allows stroke patients to measure and practice their ability to regulate their grip force using a fragile object, a task that the majority of patients struggle with but is often neglected in today’s rehabilitation clinics. Best in Engineering – $5,000

 

Team member Monika Buczak is a BME PhD student and B2B event co-organizer.

Libraries & Consumer’s Choice Awards:

AdhesioNix: Addressing critical needs in post-C-section care, our innovative solution combats the effects of adhesions, a common complication impacting patient recovery. Featuring a novel tip for syringes, our device creates a consistent barrier between cut tissues, minimizing adhesion risks and ensuring optimal healing. With a simple yet impactful design, our solution sets a new standard in surgical aftercare, enhancing patient outcomes. Eccles & Marriott Libraries Award – $5,000

 

Team member Amanda Lematty is a BME MS student, and Robert Falconer is a BME PhD student. Importantly, both Amanda LeMatty and Robert Falconer are B2B co-organizers.

T-Scope: A smartphone compatible stethoscope for telehealth visits, enabling health care professionals to better monitor a patient’s health remotely. Consumer’s Choice – $2,500

 

Team members Bryan Anderson and Xavier Grube are both BME undergrad students.

B2B 2024 by the numbers:

  • 32 Competing Teams
  • 136 Student Competitors, ranging from 1st year undergraduates to PhD candidates.
  • 30+ Majors and academic disciplines represented.
  • 4 participating institutions (University of Utah, Brigham Young University, Utah Valley University, Northeastern Ohio Medical University)
  • 100+ Professional Mentors & Competition Judges