8 international teams developing new biomedical technologies for range of medical challenges
- Teams win 7-month innovation training and project mentoring from innovators at MIT and other leading institutions
- New technologies for a range of urgent medical needs, including Veterans’ health, vaccine and drug production, patient safety, and neurological disorder diagnosis, among others
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, 6 JUNE 2022—MIT linQ, an international biomedical technology innovation consortium based in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences (MIT IMES), introduced the eight teams admitted to IDEA2 2022. The seven-month program provides intensive innovation method training, collaborative project development, team-specific mentoring, and expertise to help projects move from novel ideas toward real-world application.
“We’re impressed by the diversity of projects and the teams behind them,” said Dr Mercedes Balcells-Camps, Program Chair of IDEA2 and a Principal Research Scientist at MIT. “Their dedication to solving important medical and healthcare challenges is inspiring, and the faculty are excited to get started with them in the kickoff workshop this month.”
Proposals to IDEA2 were invited from anywhere in the world and are sponsored by several organizations dedicated to biomedical technology innovation. Project sponsors include the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), the MIT Deshpande Center, the Medicine Innovation Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the International Mentoring Foundation for the Advancement of Higher Education (IMFAHE), Boston Landing, and MIT Hacking Medicine.
The projects selected for 2022 are:
- ArgenTAG: Developing innovative cell analysis technology for diagnostics and treatments
- Biomixing: Designing new bioreactor methods to produce vaccines and drugs faster
- BP Support Frame: Helping veterans and other physically disabled people with easier-to-use blood pressure measurement technology
- CareBridge: Developing a digital platform for culturally-personalized health care advocacy
- Heuristik Health: Reducing medical errors with more precise patient identification technology
- My Oxygen System: Helping people with respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD with personalized oxygen therapy technology
- Real E-Skin: Developing an innovative solution for economical and accessible health monitoring
- Tremor Assistant: Designing new technology for earlier detection of neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease
The teams were selected competitively based on their potential for impact and readiness for additional support. Through group innovation training and individualized mentorship and advising, the teams will refine their research and development strategy to heighten the opportunity to healthcare impact.
The teams will meet in June for an initial workshop to sharpen the focus on the medical need they intend to address. They will then be matched with project mentors and subject and technology experts to help them develop their project over the summer. In October, the teams will meet again in a workshop to refine their project definition. Finally, in December they will gather to make their presentations of the progress in the program and make plans for next steps.
About IDEA2
IDEA² provides mentoring and connections to biomedical innovators around the world to develop their project ideas and to provide the expertise to realize them. It is especially valuable for trainees, early-stage professionals, and those who have few opportunities in their normal work to participate in innovation projects. More at http://idea2.mit.edu
About MIT linQ
MIT linQ is an initiative based in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences (MIT IMES) to develop a new paradigm for biomedical technology innovation. MIT linQ, part of the MIT Innovation Initiative, unifies a portfolio of international innovation programs focused on improving healthcare through need-driven, interdisciplinary research and training. For more information, visit http://linq.mit.edu
