Breakthrough in Low-Cost, Automated Chemotherapy Treatment Wins $20,000 Global Design Competition

NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- ChemoPatch™, a low-cost, disposable, electronic patch-based cancer chemotherapy device designed to be simple, automated, and easy-to-use by cancer patients outside of the hospital, has been awarded the grand prize of $20,000 in the 2013 "Create the Future" Design Contest.

The ChemoPatch, a game-changing, patent-pending device, is able to administer up to three different chemotherapy drugs in select doses and at specific time intervals. Drug delivery is automated, allowing patients to reduce the frequency of hospital visits. The device is undergoing CE mark approval processes in the UK and will start clinical trials in India.

ChemoPatch was among the more than 925 new product ideas submitted in the 11^th annual design contest, which was established in 2002 to recognize and reward engineering innovations that benefit humanity, the environment, and the economy. This year's design contest was co-sponsored by COMSOL (www.comsol.com) and SAE International (www.sae.org).

Alydaar Rangwala, a student at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), is part of the design team and views this invention as cutting-edge in its ability to deliver quality early-stage chemotherapy in developing countries. The existing methods for administration of these drugs have been primarily through intravenous delivery via a complex and costly pole-based infusion pump setup. As a result, infusion pumps have prevented treatment for early-stage cancers from becoming widely accessible.

"We are shocked and excited to have this tremendous opportunity to move forward with our design," Mr. Rangwala said, "this prize will help us to progress with the manufacturing process. We would like to extend a big 'Thank You' to the contest sponsors for making this happen."

In addition to the grand prize of $20,000, first-place winners (of Hewlett-Packard workstations) were named in eight categories:

Aerospace & Defense – sponsored by TE Connectivity
Microwave Extraction of Water for Space Propellant
Edwin Ethridge
A method to reduce the cost of spacecraft launches by producing rocket propellant in-space from water. http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/aerospace-and-defense/3619

Consumer Products
Plant Air Purifier 
James Schaeffer (team leader)
An appliance that utilizes the recently discovered air-cleaning capacity of root-associated microbes living synergistically with common houseplants to trap and consume toxins in the air.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/consumer-products/3675

Electronics – sponsored by W. L. Gore & Associates
iPecs Pro Clinical Prosthetic Alignment and Assessment Tool
Michael Leydet (team leader)
A measurement and assessment tool to improve the fitting, adjustment, and alignment of prosthetic devices, resulting in greater mobility for the patient.  
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/electronics/3155

Machinery & Equipment
Fuel Flexible, Ultra-Portable Microturbine Generator
Erik Herold (team leader)
A portable power generation system that is reliable, requires little maintenance, and can operate continuously for extended periods of time.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/machinery-and-equipment/3579

Medical – sponsored by AVNET
Vitalflo 
James Dieffenderfer (team leader)
A monitoring device that helps asthma and COPD sufferers to manage a respiratory care program through Bluetooth connectivity to a tablet, computer, or smartphone.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/medical/3845

Safety & Security
Power Fingerprinting Monitor: Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Cyber Attack
Carlos Aguayo Gonzalez (team leader)
A cyber security solution capable of directly detecting malicious intrusions in critical infrastructure and Industrial Control Systems (ICS). 
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/safety-and-security/3840

Sustainable Technologies
The Paradigm Shift in Wind Turbine Technology
Glen Lux
An environmentally friendly vertical axis wind turbine design that cuts the capital and maintenance costs of wind turbines by half, making wind power more competitive with other energy sources.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/sustainable-technologies/3433

Transportation & Automotive – sponsored by AVNET
Swift Tram: High Speed Automated People Mover
Carl Lawrence (team leader)
An elevated, high-speed, automated rapid transit system that passengers can schedule on-demand using a smartphone.
http://contest.techbriefs.com/2013/entries/transportation-and-automotive/3960

Finalists were selected by senior editors at Tech Briefs Media Group and judged by an independent panel of design engineers. Visitors to the contest Web site could vote on entries, with the 10 most popular designs awarded a Sphero mobile game system by Orbotix. For more information, visit www.createthefuturecontest.com.

About COMSOL
COMSOL, Inc. (Burlington, MA) provides software solutions for multiphysics modeling and simulation. Its flagship product, COMSOL Multiphysics, lets engineers and scientists build simulations that bring their design ideas to life. Its unparalleled ability to include all relevant physical effects that exist in the real world opens up a wide array of modeling possibilities. COMSOL's customers apply this technology to make cars and aircraft safer and more energy efficient, enhance the reception of our cell phones, search for new energy sources, explore the universe, develop medical equipment enabling more accurate diagnoses, and educate the next generation of scientists.
www.comsol.com

About SAE International
SAE International (Warrendale, PA) is a global association of more than 138,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive, and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™.
www.sae.org

SOURCE Tech Briefs Media Group