Capstone as a Vehicle for Translational Research

Timothy Allen, Ph.D. David Chen (UVA Coulter Director) Shayn Peirce, Ph.D.

The DEPARTMENT of BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING

School of Engineering and Applied Science School of Medicine

Clinical Problem: Otitis Media with Effusion (OME)

Fluid in middle ear Symptoms of ear pressure,
fullness, hearing loss, and balance difficulties

Untreated, OME can cause permanent hearing loss and speech and language difficulties seen most commonly in children

Current Standard of Care Treatment

Myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion: Decreases pain Restores hearing Prevents reaccumulation of fluids Ventilates middle ear space Improves balance

Clinical Need: Improve existing surgical technique

Instruments unable to hold and precisely manipulate the small ear tubes; multiple instruments required to insert the tube risk of damage to ear canal

It started with a BME Capstone Team...

Orthopaedic Surgery Michael Pannunzio, M.D. Kornelis Poelstra, M.D. Otolaryngology Brad Kesser, M.D. Biomedical Engineering Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D. Anu Roy Lisa Killen Danielle Gause

Early Prototypes

Prototype 1A

Prototype 2A

It continued with a Capstone Team...

Otolaryngology Brad Kesser, M.D. Nursing Deborah Conway, R.N., M.S.N. Biomedical Engineering Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D. Isi Azeke Craig Conta Ashley Davenport Kristen Melnyczuk Trevor Royce Daniel Walters

Provisional Patent

Identify Potential Licensees

Prototype 1B

NDAs

Pre-clinical Trial, Clinical Trial, & International Licensing Deal

Time Required for Ear Tube Insertion
150

Time (seconds)

125 100 75 50 25 0

p = 0.062

Chinchilla Model

Standard PROTOTYPE of Care 1B

Capstone as a Mechanism for Upstream Innovation

How can we involve BME undergraduates in translational research?
Research for credit Capstone sequence
Project Fair Topics include design, IP, market research, and FDA regulation Fall Proposal & Spring Capstone Symposium

Novel design-for-credit course (D-teams), funded by NCIIA

How can involving our undergraduates in translational research bolster an environment of innovation?
Many of our students are medically-motivated and creative! Interdisciplinary Solutions Workshops High-throughput (Capstone incubator for new ideas)

U.Va. BME Capstone Design Achievements over Three Years (avg. 53 students/yr)
Projects Resulting in Scientific Peer Reviewed Publications (Papers & Abstracts) Provisional Patents Filed Full Patent Applications (U.S. and International) Number of Projects

20 10 3

Challenges
Intellectual property (who owns it?) Timing issues related to the academic calendar

Continuing the project over consecutive years and offering the same types of design experiences