Transcript Slide

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
Time (seconds)
150
125
100
p = 0.062
75
50
25
0
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…
Number of
Projects
Scientific Peer Reviewed Publications
(Papers & Abstracts)
20
Provisional Patents Filed
10
Full Patent Applications (U.S. and
International)
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