While it might sound cliché from a Sci-Fi movie, students are indeed at the forefront of healthcare innovation, leveraging their creativity and technical expertise to develop ground-breaking solutions globally. Their contributions to healthcare have given humanity a chance in the face of evolving disease-causing organisms and a climate crisis. Find below some of their leading innovations transforming the healthcare landscape and improving patient outcomes worldwide.
Top 7 ground-breaking student innovations revolutionizing healthcare
Smart bandage
While bandages have helped people survive some of the worst injuries, it has also been responsible for terrible side effects including infections. If not changed for a long time, over-tightened, or unhygienic, they can cause the covered area to swell, irritate, and smell, leading to even more severe outcomes. In fact, cases of people losing their limbs due to poor bandaging, infections, and compartment syndrome are common. These side effects prompted two students, Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar, to work with their professor, Wei Gao, to develop antibiotic-releasing bandages. You can find their inspiring story on customwritings.com/nursing-papers.html and understand how their invention has saved lives.
Portable ultrasound device
Ultrasound is one of the key technologies used in healthcare to diagnose and monitor a wide range of medical conditions. However, the device, which uses high-frequency sound waves to create real-time images of a patient's internal body structures, is popular in diagnosing pregnancies, cardiovascular complications, and musculoskeletal disorders. Despite their importance, the devices have remained heavy and bulky, forcing patients to visit clinics if they need help.
In 2007, everything changed when George K. Lewis, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student at Cornell University invented a portable version of the device. His smaller, more powerful, and extremely cheap option is helping patients in remote and poor villages worldwide. The device is also simple to use, providing solutions to even the least trained caregivers.
TimelyCare
TimelyCare is a smartphone-based virtual care app that connects patients with healthcare providers for remote consultations, medication management, and health monitoring. Imagine accessing a doctor at the push of a button. We have to admit that getting medical appointments has become harder over the years. If you’ve lived in the South, especially Alabama, North Carolina, or Mississippi, you’ll understand that securing an appointment with a doctor, even for those with insurance, is often a gamble. Forget the long wait times, some professionals will charge an arm and a leg just to see you!
When Luke Hejl, Chris Clark, and Alan Dennington of Abilene Christian University came together to develop TimelyCare, their interest was to improve patients’ access to care. Their system connects doctors from all over the country to patients everywhere, giving a lifeline to those in areas with inaccessibility issues. The app has leveled the playing ground whether you’re from the South, North, or Central USA.
Portable dialysis machine
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 850 million people have kidney disease or complications globally. Unfortunately, most victims live below the poverty line, exacerbating their challenges. In many regions, access to kidney disease diagnosis, prevention, or treatment has been difficult with the few available machines serving many patients daily. At only 17 years old, Anya Pogharian identified the problem, related to it, and was determined to find a solution. Her determination and ingenuity led to the invention of the world’s first portable dialysis machine. Her lightweight device has improved patients’ mobility and independence, earning her a spot in the history of humanity.
Bioprinted organs
This is one of the inventions that continue to stir heated debates among scholars, scientists, and other moralists. Some people consider the use of 3D bioprinting unsettling. In their opinion, creating functional human organs or tissues for transplant is playing god. They’ve submitted many essays, position papers, and statements on the subject. Don’t be left behind if you fancy adding your voice to the debate. A reputable company like Bid4Papers provides paper writing help to address the concerns raised by moralists and religious enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, these debates have not resolved the shortage of donor organs, which has only worsened over the last two decades. Thomas Boland from Clemson University made the bold move. He invented inkjet printing for cells to give people with damaged organs a second chance. Even though it might take a while to achieve its full potential, the invention gives hope to millions of patients globally.
Intelligent prosthetic limb
Prosthetic limbs have been around for centuries, with the first known samples tracing back to the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt. However, for the most part, they remained basic and difficult to use. A 17-year-old high schooler, Benjamin Choi, set out to solve the challenges. He successfully invented an AI-based device that uses brainwaves and sensors to provide greater mobility, handiness, and natural movement for amputees. You think and your limb moves seamlessly. There’s no denying that the invention has restored function and quality of life to many amputees. Who said innovations are a preserve for adults?
Diagnosis smartphone app
Advances in phone technologies have created room for many applications. The diagnosis smartphone app, for instance, was created by Andrius Lauraitis of the Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania, to analyze disease symptoms and provide preliminary diagnoses. The technology uses AI to combine various scenarios and make accurate predictions. It’s vital for quick identification of potential health risks, e.g., cancer, diabetes, and other cardiovascular complications.
