Bryan S Sack1, Rodolfo A Elizondo2, Gene O Huang2, Nicolette Janzen2, Jimmy Espinoza3, Magdalena Sanz-Cortes3, Jennifer E Dietrich3, Julie Hakim4, Eric S Richardson4, Maria Oden5, John Hanks6, Balakrishna Haridas6, James F Hury7, Chester J Koh8. 1. Department of Pediatric Urology, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. 2. Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Surgery, and the Scott Department of Urology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. 3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. 4. Division of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, Departments of Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. 5. Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, Department of Bioengineering, Brown School of Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX. 6. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dwight Look College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. 7. Business Development and Planning Department, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX. 8. Division of Pediatric Urology, Department of Surgery, and the Scott Department of Urology, Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. Electronic address: cxkoh@texaschildrens.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a need for pediatric medical devices that accommodate the unique physiology and anatomy of pediatric patients that is increasingly receiving more attention. However, there is limited literature on the programs within children's hospitals and academia that can support pediatric device development. We describe our experience with pediatric device design utilizing collaborations between a children's hospital and two engineering schools. METHODS: Utilizing the academic year as a timeline, unmet pediatric device needs were identified by surgical faculty and matched with an engineering mentor and a team of students within the Capstone Engineering Design programs at two universities. The final prototypes were showcased at the end of the academic year and if appropriate, provisional patent applications were filed. RESULTS: All twelve teams successfully developed device prototypes, and five teams obtained provisional patents. The prototypes that obtained provisional patents included a non-operative ureteral stent removal system, an evacuation device for small kidney stone fragments, a mechanical leech, an anchoring system of the chorio-amniotic membranes during fetal surgery, and a fetal oxygenation monitor during fetoscopic procedures. CONCLUSIONS: Capstone Engineering Design programs in partnership with surgical faculty at children's hospitals can play an effective role in the prototype development of novel pediatric medical devices. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: N/A - No clinical subjects or human testing was performed.
BACKGROUND: There is a need for pediatric medical devices that accommodate the unique physiology and anatomy of pediatric patients that is increasingly receiving more attention. However, there is limited literature on the programs within children's hospitals and academia that can support pediatric device development. We describe our experience with pediatric device design utilizing collaborations between a children's hospital and two engineering schools. METHODS: Utilizing the academic year as a timeline, unmet pediatric device needs were identified by surgical faculty and matched with an engineering mentor and a team of students within the Capstone Engineering Design programs at two universities. The final prototypes were showcased at the end of the academic year and if appropriate, provisional patent applications were filed. RESULTS: All twelve teams successfully developed device prototypes, and five teams obtained provisional patents. The prototypes that obtained provisional patents included a non-operative ureteral stent removal system, an evacuation device for small kidney stone fragments, a mechanical leech, an anchoring system of the chorio-amniotic membranes during fetal surgery, and a fetal oxygenation monitor during fetoscopic procedures. CONCLUSIONS:Capstone Engineering Design programs in partnership with surgical faculty at children's hospitals can play an effective role in the prototype development of novel pediatric medical devices. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: N/A - No clinical subjects or human testing was performed.
Authors: Robert H Beekman; Brian W Duncan; Donald J Hagler; Thomas K Jones; John D Kugler; John W Moore; Kathy J Jenkins Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2009-07 Impact factor: 7.124
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