Category: Healthcare Innovation (Page 1 of 6)

Group members: Kiara, Robert, Stella

The healthcare problem that our group is focused on is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Tendonitis that stems from improper writing techniques. Carpal Tunnel syndrome is when the median nerve in the hand is compressed or squeezed in the wrist. The median nerve is compressed when the muscle tissue surrounding the tendons swell up. The pressure on the median nerve can cause lasting pain, numbness, tingling or weakness of the hand. The condition is more common in women and older people but children and young people can develop carpal tunnel syndrome from writing with a curved wrist or intensive writing for long periods of time. Any repetitive hand tasks can eventually cause carpal tunnel. Tendonitis causes similar problems when it comes to writing. Tendonitis is the inflammation of the tendons. Tendonitis in the wrist will cause a similar pain to Carpal tunnel and can affect writing. The specific problem we want to address is the pain in the wrist from tendonitis or carpal tunnel that can have a negative impact on writing.

In researching the need for our particular healthcare innovation, we found a lot of information regarding writing difficulties for people suffering from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, and Arthritis. Most of the information that we found mentioned that strain or pressure was being placed on the median nerve and this caused lasting pain and numbness, making it difficult to write clearly and efficiently. Stella found various studies showing the need for a hand brace that would significantly improve quality of life for those with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome specifically. The article, “An Innovative Hand Brace for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” in the Muscle & Nerve Journal evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of a new brace and found that it showed success in improving functionality. An article from The New York Times also highlighted the struggles faced by those with Carpal Tunnel, and so we were able to see the prevalence of this condition as it is something that affects a significant portion of the population and interferes with their daily productivity. Overall, it has been found that using #D technology to fashion a sort of wrist splint or brace would be an important development since this would allow it to be more easily mass produced, and it would help to keep costs down.

Since our particular concentration is to see how we can improve handwriting, Robert found several sources that acknowledge the way a person’s grip on a writing utensil affects their handwriting. Many of these studies found a correlation between weak or strained grip and poor handwriting, especially amongst children. This work further supports the need for our healthcare innovation. In a Brazilian Journal for Pediatrics, it was published that research was done concerning how a certain grip on a pen or pencil could improve grip posture and therefore making writing more comfortable for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. This is relevant, because although we aren’t focusing specifically on cerebral palsy, this research can still help us identify key factors that contribute to improve handwriting. A study from the American Journal of Occupational Therapy also noted that students who used a type of pencil grip had better performance rates than those who did not use one. Therefore, this research could further help us to understand the ergodynamics of writing and translate the findings about the pencil grip into an overall wrist brace that will help with writing as well as other daily functions.

The research and data that I found focused more on using ergodynamics to alleviate the symptoms of carpal tunnel and arthritis through specially designed writing grips. Another study that I found in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy suggested that a specifically designed writing grip may help writers to be more efficient and proficient, and thus relieve strain on the wrist and hopefully be applied to those suffering from carpal tunnel. A study from the International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology detailed the most common treatments of carpal tunnel syndrome which included bracing, but also detailed its limitations. These limitations included the fact that they were often stiff and non conforming and uncomfortable to wear. We hope to use all of this information to be able to design a brace that is more effective than current products available.

The problem we have identified is very specific, but highly pervasive throughout the country. Current braces on the market still prove to have less long-term benefits than surgery. This becomes an economic issue, since many people in the U.S. do not have health insurance to cover such surgeries. In addition, current models, whether custom-made or mass produced, don’t seem to have a significant difference. So what’s the point of paying extra for a custom-made brace? Scientists are still working to pinpoint the exact part of the median nerve and how the surrounding structure causes pain. Because it is so intricate, hand braces have varied in design, some having a neutral stance, while others are angled. Which is more effective? Our solution is to produce an affordable, durable brace that can relieve stress on the median nerve and improve writing efficiency. The brace should be flexible, while still maintaining the right amount of support in order to relieve the stress of the median nerve, which gets strained after a significant time of writing. Based on current research and patents on different brace designs, we hope to cross reference and come up with the most effective brace that solves all issues with current models.

Through our research, we have been able to come to the conclusion that this healthcare innovation is something that people need. It would significantly improve quality of life for thousands of people across the country and even more internationally. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Tendonitis, and Arthritis are ailments that a multitude of people suffer from, and it oftentimes interferes with their everyday lives. Sometimes surgery is not an option for these people, and so we hope that our wrist brace will help them to be able to continue with their routines comfortably and with the support they need. Our idea has much potential for success, especially with the 3D printing technology. This would allow our brace to be mass produced and sold in pharmacies and drugstores or even through doctors and pharmaceutical reps. With the right material and design, our idea could revolutionize the treatment of these conditions and open the door to further improvements as well.

Group Members: Harmeet Kaur, Ayelet Segal, Pabvitraa Ramcharan

Open wounds are injuries with external or internal tissues exposed to the air. The four main types of wounds are: abrasions (skin scrapes), lacerations (deep cuts), punctures (holes in the skin), and avulsions (tearing away of tissues and skin). Minor types of open wounds are usually treated with sterile bandaging at home, while others require serious medical attention such as sutures, skin glue, and a tetanus shot. Overall, disinfection and cauterizing the open wound is necessary regardless of the type of injury. Without cauterization, the wound is left susceptible to the external environment, which may cause infections. Not to mention, the possibility of excessive bleeding. Without proper treatment, infections can lead to a high fever, a wound that won’t heal, lockjaw, necrotizing fasciitis, and Cellulitis. Therefore, the healthcare problem that we want to address is the lack of response time in cauterizing and disinfecting open wounds. That’s because with this lack of response time, open wounds become infected. Thus, the niche of our innovation focuses on the portability aspect of the innovation because many individuals get involved in fatal or serious accidents that cause serious avulsions. While waiting for the EMTs to arrive, a person can bleed out to death. However, with a portable cauterizing laser, these wounds are able to close and become disinfected before the response team arrives, stabilizing the bleeding. This innovation would help save lives and make the emergency response more efficient.

While the U.S. military is attempting to use similar technology, they have not created any such device that may be widely used on the battlefield yet. The Air Force’s research agency, Darpa, has proposals for the development of such lasers but has not made anything available to the public.  The lasers that do exists are not widely used yet, still need major improvements in effectiveness, are expensive to create, and result in minor to major infections.

One aspect that those who have already done background trials or observations regarding the idea encounter is, as mentioned before, keeping the wound sterile. Depending on the laser, wounds either become completely healed without the need for further care, infested with bacteria, or scarred from the cauterization process. According to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Bruce Reid and plastic surgeon Dr. Miroslaw Stranc in their article “Healing of Infected Wounds following Iodine Scrub or CO2 Laser Treatment”, they found that using a CO2 laser to heal infected rabbit wounds was much more sterile than using an iodine scrub. However, three of the laser treatments did lead to sepsis in the wound. Although this was a better outcome than the 12 iodine scrubs that lead to sepsis, the CO2 laser may still lead to infection. Hence although more sterile than antiseptics, it is not a full proof laser to cauterize and heal open wounds in the long run. Yet, it may suffice for a portable laser wound healing device in the short run, at least until the patient can seek professional help at a hospital.  

Laser temperature is also imperative in cauterizing wounds since too high of a temperature may permanently damage the skin and leave scarring, while too low of a temperature may be ineffective in cauterizing the wound. In “LASERS- The Future of Suture,” Physics Professor Dr. Abraham Katzir and his team from Tel Aviv University have been experimenting with CO2 lasers using infrared fibers on ten human patients who underwent gallbladder removal. Some incisions were sutured while others were soldered with the CO2 laser. The team found that the ideal temperature to create tight bonding and minimal scarring in the tissue was between the narrow range of 60 to 65 degrees Celsius. Yet, this is a small sample size and patient variability might be massive in future trials, especially with variances in wound size, wound deepness, and wound tissue. Therefore we propose increasing the laser temperature proportionally to the wound temperature to minimize the risk of overheating or under heating the tissue.

Biodegradability would certainly reduce costs and scarring, as well as invalidate the need for sutures or staples to close wounds. However, lasers are limited to their extent in penetrating the skin since most can only reach the surface of the skin. This brings cause to wonder how exactly the cauterization laser would tackle the deep wound healing aspect, like bullet holes, of the health care innovation idea. According to BBC Senior Science Journalist Richard Gray in his article, “Is This the End of Stitches? Lasers Close Wounds and Cut Scarring,” scientists at St. Andrews University have created a biodegradable optical fiber that allows laser light to penetrate about one inch into the skin. Within 15 minutes, the green light from the laser would release a medical dye into the wound, which would unite collagen molecules. The optical insert would then be absorbed by the skin since it would not be made of glass.

Unfortunately, this has only been tested on pig skin and not in a clinical setting since there are still many safety concerns regarding the toxicity of the laser healing the wound from the inside, and the absorption rate of the  optical fiber material. Therefore, the portable laser should be supplemented by a flexible and soluble polymer based optical fiber that would not require a second surgery if it implants or breaks off into the wound. This would also increase response time as the EMT worker for example, can disperse the laser evenly across the wound.

Lastly, portability is a must. Most everyday lasers come in the form of laser pointers while others, such as those found in medical offices, are heavy and useless unless plugged into a power source.

Our solution to the problem of delayed response time in cauterizing and disinfecting open wounds is a portable laser. As mentioned before, the idea of a laser has been thought of, but there is a lack of efficiency or completion with this innovation. Moreover, our innovation focuses more on the portability aspect, which comes in many forms. For instance, the laser won’t be huge or hooked up to wires. Instead, it would be something that can be handheld or easy to carry. In fact, we are planning to structure the laser in such a way that it can even be attached to a keychain. By making the laser more portable, there is an easier access to the laser when necessary. This helps decrease the danger present in delayed response times with EMTs. Overall, the laser works to cauterize the wounds through disinfection and closing the wound to prevent bleeding out. Of course, this is not a substitute for entire medical attention. Instead, it stabilizes patients during the time between getting injured and meeting the medical professional.

Our laser wound healer has huge potential for success. Our device would be small, user friendly, chargeable in any outlet and best of all, instant! Currently, many laser therapies to heal wounds involve a special doctor’s visit and are used on wounds that have tried, but cannot heal themselves. This device would eliminate the middleman and cure the wound on the spot. There have been previous attempts of other technological devices to quickly heal up wounds, but they have not become mainstream just yet. We will use recycled material to make the products, showing the eco friendly and inexpensive side of our idea.  

Group Members: Claire Ng, Rinni Sutanto and Victor Carrano

Twist and Lock Drug Dispenser

A significant healthcare problem in the United States today is the nation’s opioid epidemic.  According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, there were more than 49,000 overdose deaths involving opioids in 2017.  Much of the problem has been fueled by a massive, nationwide demand for prescription drugs, with millions of prescriptions being written each year.  Patients who obtain these prescribed medications often become addicted and fail to adhere to the appropriate dosages set by their doctors or pharmacists.  The epidemic has impacted people of all ages, including our youth, as child opioid overdoses have reportedly doubled over the past 14 years. This uptick in child overdoses can be attributed to children easily gaining access to prescription drugs belonging to their parents. The availability of prescription drugs combined with a lack of safeguards has created a recipe for abuse and accidental disasters. The ongoing epidemic presents the need for a method of providing medication to patients in a manageable and secure way that mitigates the risk of intentional or accidental overdose.

Studies in scientific literature as well as government sponsored public health websites have reported the increase of drug overdose, both intentional and accidental. For example, studies have shown that young adults ages eighteen to twenty-five are at greater risk of abusing drugs, A study published in Addictive Behaviors, psychology journal, has indicated that young adults are a predominant group at risk of drug abuse due to factors like college (Chinnek et.al 2018). Another study published in the journal Medicine & Health Rhode Island analyzes the different ways in which accidental overdoses occur, and which demographics are affected. According to the study, children are at the highest risk group of accidental overdoses, with children having the highest amount of hospitalizations due to accidental ingestion of drugs (Green et. al. 2011). This information is significant because it determines the demographics our healthcare innovation targets, as well as the importance of why this innovation is needed.

The healthcare innovation is a pill/drug dispenser that controls dosage and the amount of drugs dispensed. It would be a bottle for pills, but the technology would be in the cap of the bottle. First, the cap will only be able to be twisted in one direction as to dispense one pill per turn.  The cap will lock itself according to dosage set by the pharmacist using telemedicine technology. For example, if the dosage is 2 pills per 24 hours, the clock on the cap will dispense only two pills, and will lock for the next 24 hours. There will also be a fingerprint component to the cap to allow only the patient to access it.

Due to the health and safety precautions this device holds, it can be implemented throughout all pharmaceuticals and healthcare centers when prescribing drugs to patients. It ensures safety in order to prevent overdosing and drug abuse. This would not be used for commercial purposes, but will be vital to healthcare professionals and pharmacists when prescribing and handing out designated drugs. In terms of function, this device is simple. It allows for quick and efficient use. With a simple twist and lock, this device will surely be attractive to healthcare professionals and pharmacists alike. Although this device is not intended for commercial use, the probability of taking the patent and incorporating it into other industries can be likely. Such ideas can use this lock and timed tool for diets and other health-restricted needs. Because this device focuses on health and safety issues, the likeliness of this product to be successful is high and profitable. It’s universal to all ages and needs as well as simple and reliable to use.

This pill dispenser is sure to become one of the most effective ways of preventing drug overdose and drug abuse. Because of its assurance to be controlled by the healthcare professional and or pharmacist, the time and dosage of such drugs shall be accurate and safe. With the fingerprint safety precaution, this device only further ensures that the prescribed drugs are being handled and taken by the prescribed patient. This device will innovate and improve the way prescription drugs are handled and distributed through pharmacies and other medical facilities.

Thermal Compression Glove with Massaging Feature to Relieve Arthritis Pain

Group Members: Daniel Khaldarov, Felix Malamud, Mia Zaidi

The healthcare problem that we would like to address is rheumatoid arthritis pains in the hands. Due to the fact that rheumatoid arthritis is a serious issue affecting over 1.5 million people in the United States, we wanted to propose an idea for the most effective form of treatment possible. Very frequently, some kind of drugs or supplements are used in an attempt to deal with arthritis, but this can cause further health complications and some patients prefer a non-pharmaceutical alternative. Products have been made using heat therapy, compression, as well as massaging, to treat pains in the hands due to rheumatoid arthritis. There is an abundance of scientific literature that shows that heat and compression has a beneficial effect on people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. According to an article in the PloS One Journal entitled, “Defining Immunological Impact and Therapeutic Benefit of Mild Heating in a Murine Model of Arthritis Evidence,” heat treatment significantly reduces inflammation in joints (Lee 2015). Although there was little improvement in hand function with the use of therapy gloves, pain was substantially reduced (Nasir 2014). Our healthcare innovation aims to increase the effectiveness in pain relief by combining these forms of therapy (which current available products fail to do) into one wearable product. Our idea is a thermal compression glove with a massage feature. The massage feature would use vibration and target specific pressure points that are associated with pain relief. This type of innovation is much more convenient as it is an all-in-one form of treatment that requires no prescription and can be worn without interfering with a person’s day-to-day activities. In terms of commercial success, such a thermal compression glove can be used by anyone that wants an easy and effective way to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Those that deal with rheumatoid arthritis often, or even people who have early stages of it, would definitely find this product incredibly beneficial. We feel that there has to be a better way to deal with this issue and our innovation would be the right tool for the job, due to its multi-functionality, convenience, and effectiveness. 

Bibliography

Lee, Chen-Ting, Kathleen M. Kokolus, Nicholas D. Leigh, Maegen Capitano, Bonnie L. Hylander, and Elizabeth A. Repasky. “Defining Immunological Impact and Therapeutic Benefit of Mild Heating in a Murine Model of Arthritis.” PLoS One 10, no. 3. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0120327

Nasir, Siti Hana, Olga Troynikov, and Nicola Massy-Westropp. 2014. “Therapy gloves for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a review.” Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease 6, no. 6: 226-237. https://doi-org.remote.baruch.cuny.edu/10.1177/1759720X14557474

Group Members: Mark, Karishma, AJ

        Emergency rooms across America come face to face with limb amputations and cases with detached body parts caused by household accidents. While treatment of such cases has progressed due to evolving medical technology, a large factor in these cases is the handling of the detached body part from the site of the accident to the hospital. Many people are unaware of the right procedure to follow in such cases and thus, choose to ice the body part while waiting for appropriate medical care. However, this method actually damages the limb further and decreases the chances of successful reattachment. The best practice would be to first disinfect the limb and then cool it within measure, never putting it directly in contact with ice. Furthermore, when ambulances do arrive on the scene of the accident, they also lack best practices to handle the body part. Our proposed healthcare innovation is a refrigeration box that has two compartments: one to disinfect the body part and the other to keep it at an optimal temperature until appropriate medical care is available. The settings of the box would allow you to control the temperature of the box in order to adjust it for different body parts.

        Our group was inspired not only by our personal experiences with cases dealing with bad injuries, but also because we have done extensive research to come to the conclusion that the majority of everyday civilians don’t know what to do when confronted with this issue, and even worse, there hasn’t been enough developed technology to make this treatment process efficient yet safe. We also knew that the reattachment of limbs was greatly affected by the process of taking care of the severed appendages, arteries, and veins. As stated by Elana Glowatz, “No matter where surgeons attach an errant limb, the process involves restoring blood flow in the appendage by re-connecting the arteries, through which blood enters the body part, and the veins, through which it leaves.” (Glowatz 2018) Overall, we confirmed a lot about what we already knew on the background of our healthcare innovation, but also learned a lot of new interesting facts that enabled us to take into account the temperature we wanted to set inside our box, the different dimensions, as well as the different target groups we wanted to advertise too.

        With regards to the functionality of the product, as stated earlier, we plan for it to be a refrigeration cube that is divided into two sections: the disinfection side and the preservation side. The purpose of this cube is to enable the severed body part to maintain future functionality while being detached from the body. By using the refrigeration cube, there will potentially be a much higher success rate of attaching disjointed limbs, compared to the old method of separately disinfecting the body part, putting it in a bag, and then placing it on ice. Our target market for this product was originally predominantly for ambulances and hospitals. Although this is still our main avenue, we plan to market to the military as well. There are many cases of individuals losing limbs, and we believe our product will be able to help in the process of re-attaching those limbs more properly and efficiently.

        Overall, as we create 3D models of our product and do further research surrounding the technicals and necessity of this product, we are certain that we can create a useful refrigeration cube. With proper research and development, we will be able to find the ideal target market and turn our idea into a marketable, successful, and helpful product.

          White blood cell count is a good indicator for determining when your body may be fighting an infection or can indicate when you are more susceptible to certain diseases. However, there isn’t an accurate at-home device that can tell you your specific white blood cell count. While there is a device that is soon to hit the market, it is only able to tell you if you have a low white blood cell count but the number of what is considered normal varies depending on the individual. The article “Evaluation of Patients with Leukocytosis” explains each type of white blood cell and what it means when it is too high or low as well as what the normal range is for a newborn, infant, child, pregnant woman, and adults.

        We would like to address this issue by creating an at-home device that can count white blood cells. This innovation would be helpful for the average person since people fight infections all the time as well as cancer patients who are at risk of having a low white blood cell count due to chemotherapy. An interesting find in the article “High White Blood Cell Count Is Associated With a Worsening of Insulin Sensitivity and Predicts the Development of Type 2 Diabetes” was that a high white blood cell count in people who have diabetes affects insulin sensitivity and is an indicator of the progression of type 2 diabetes.

        However, an issue is that current methods of counting white blood cells are costly which is something we must address since our target audience is the average person or person with diabetes or cancer which have expensive treatments and medication. We believe that taking into consideration the cost of the item and who our target audience is would increase the potential of our success.