Three Inventions From BioDesign Program Receive Provisional Patents

Brandon Howard

Emma Herman, a senior data science student, gives a demonstration of a harness designed for an infant suffering from hip dysplasia. Herman and her team worked in the Northwest Arkansas BioDesign Sprints program to improve current products used to treat the common neonatal condition.

Interdisciplinary student interns participating in the Northwest Arkansas BioDesign Sprints program have teamed up with clinicians and other healthcare professionals to create three novel inventions with the potential to significantly improve patient health and safety in the areas of pediatrics, labor and delivery, and urgent care.

These inventions have received provisional patents that are jointly owned by the U of A and regional healthcare institution partners, a critical step that will give the inventors time to perfect their concept before filing for a full patent.

The NABS program, funded by the Walton Family Foundation and launched in 2022, cultivates collaboration between the university and local clinics and hospitals to tackle challenges in the healthcare industry and create new solutions to bring to the marketplace. Inspired by the highly regarded Stanford University BioDesign Fellowship program, the NWA BioDesign Sprints program is a partnership between the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, U of A College of Engineering, HealthTech Arkansas and four regional health systems: Arkansas Children's Hospital, Community Clinic, Highlands Oncology and Washington Regional Medical Center.

This collaboration is instrumental for solving real-world problems and developing an innovative mindset in the medical industry, according to Jeff Stinson, director of HealthTech Arkansas.

"Our efforts are important not only in developing new innovations that improve patient health and enhance clinical operations, but also in helping our provider partners to cultivate a culture of innovation within their organizations," Stinson said.

"We're very proud of the work we're doing in collaboration with the University of Arkansas and our region's healthcare providers."

The internship has also helped underscore the importance of connecting "the business and healthcare worlds" for Jenova Kempkes, a biomedical engineering major.

Kempkes said bridging that gap ensures innovations won't be buried in medical journals but applied in the real world to improve healthcare. Kempkes plans to harness this innovative mindset in her medical career.

"When I experience a problem, I want to be a physician with the mindset of 'how can I fix it,' and this internship has equipped me with the tools to do just that."

Three Novel Innovations

• Pannus Retractor
  • Inventors: Johnna Winfrey, B.S.N./R.N. from Washington Regional Medical Center; Claire Dildy, senior, College of Engineering; Shivani Koundinya, junior, Honors College of Engineering; Breanna Kilgore, senior, College of Engineering; and Allie Johnston, senior, College of Engineering
    • The new innovation is a more reliable, discreet and simpler tool for helping surgeons support excess skin during surgical procedures.
• Star Harness
  • Inventors: Dr. Adrienne Koder, D.O., from Arkansas Children's Hospital; Samantha Blanchard, medical assistant II/phlebotomist at Arkansas Children's Hospital; Jenova Kempkes, senior, Honors College of Engineering; Hector Santillan, senior, College of Engineering; and Emma Herman, senior, Honors College Interdisciplinary Studies
    • This innovation provides pediatricians and parents with a more reliable and comfortable way to treat infants suffering from a common neonatal condition known as hip dysplasia, which can be painful and have lifelong effects if left untreated.
• V-Ready
  • Inventors: Dr. Abdallah Dalabih, M.D., from Arkansas Children's Hospital; Claire Dildy, senior, College of Engineering; Fan Bu, doctorate, College of Engineering; Ngoc Childress, senior, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences; and John Steward, senior, Honors College of Engineering  
    • Correct placement of a central venous catheter (CVC) is vital for patients receiving emergency medical care, but confirmation of placement plagues clinicians, with misplacement causing severe injury or death. V-Ready solves this problem by providing an innovative method to accurately, rapidly and cheaply perform confirmation.

A Dynamic Partnership 

"Our program's distinctive structure, enabling student interns to collaborate with local medical experts to create inventive solutions, extends beyond addressing healthcare disparities and challenges in Northwest Arkansas," said Laura Moix, program manager of BioDesign and graduate programs in the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.  

NWA BioDesign interns work closely with clinicians, researchers and medical partners to identify potential challenges and develop distinctive innovations that hold promise as marketable medical solutions. Together, they invent new clinical and healthcare solutions, ensuring the ideas are grounded in real-world needs with practical applications, Moix said.

"It is a systematic way to engage the people who confront problems in healthcare directly in the innovation process alongside engineers and business people, ensuring that solutions are directed at market needs that are felt across the U.S. or even around the world."

The cross-pollination of various majors in a real-world healthcare setting has been "such a privilege" for Margo Leavitt, a current BioDesign intern.

"I get to combine my clinical expertise and academic experiences with my love of research to solve real problems in healthcare," said Leavitt, who is working toward a Master of Public Health.

"I especially enjoy collaborating with the dedicated professionals in our partner facilities and my fellow interns across academic disciplines."

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new. 

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the largest engineering program in the state of Arkansas. Over the past 15 years, the college has experienced unprecedented growth. Undergraduate enrollment reached just over 3,300 in fall 2023, and total enrollment in the college is nearly 4,500 students. The College of Engineering offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in seven engineering fields: biological and agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical and computer science, industrial and mechanical. The college also offers distance learning and interdisciplinary programs, including data science. Faculty in the college conduct research in many key areas, including biomedical and healthcare, electronics, energy, healthcare logistics, materials science, nanotechnology, transportation and logistics. Emerging research areas include advanced manufacturing, cybersecurity, data science, infrastructure, membranes and separation and water.