Advancing Capstone Projects Beyond the First Generation: An Emergency Rapid Injection Device

Universities are a hub for innovation and design. Senior design courses often involve the development of a novel first generation prototype for biotech applications. However, due to the relatively short time frame, immaturity of the projects by the end of the year, and focus on curricular outcomes as precedence over end products, the courses rarely produce FDA-cleared or market ready products. This results in a plethora of novel ideas with significant promise, but no pathway to improve healthcare. The Bucknell Universityâ??Geisinger Health System Medical Device Development Program (BUâ??GHS MDDP) is a solution that allows a team of students to further develop products from senior design into second or third generation prototypes with a business plan for respective targeted markets. A multidisciplinary team of students in BUâ??GHS MDDP was assembled, specifically based on technical skill sets needed to advance a previously patented but stagnant design project for an emergency rapid injection device, i.e. a syringe. This specialty syringe aims to deliver two sequential doses into an IV port with a single push. This injection is time sensitive because the drug, Adenosine, has approximately a 10 second half-life once entering the system. Preparation time associated with the current method of delivery is significantly longer, and therefore this new design provides time saving measures that could benefit the patient. Since the device was envisioned for use on Life Flight helicopters, students conducted a survey of medical staff members that regularly work on helicopters to better understand characteristics that would be valuable in this particular design. Initial feedback on the first design from professionals in the field showed that the majority felt there was a need for a new device and preferred the patented designs to the current method, demonstrating an interest and opportunity in the market for the device. A next generation functional prototype was created as a sequential step in the process and duplicated so that multiple medical staff could test it and give feedback on desired ergonomic and functional characteristics. The overall new prototype is closer to market, and connections have been made in the industry for possible future partnering.