Eight international teams developing new biomedical technologies for range of medical challenges
- Teams win seven-month innovation training and project mentoring from innovators at MIT and other leading institutions
- New technologies for a range of urgent medical needs, including heart surgery, joint health, gastric cancer, and burn would treatment, among others
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, 12 NOVEMBER 2024—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 2025. 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.
“The mentor team and I are very excited about this cohort,” said Dr Mercedes Balcells-Camps, Program Chair of IDEA2 and a Principal Research Scientist at MIT. “Their proposals are compelling, and we are confident we can accelerate development of their technologies toward patient care.”
Proposals for IDEA2 were invited from anywhere in the world, and selected teams come from India, Spain, Chile, Argentina, and the United States. IDEA2 program contributors for the 2025 edition include the MIT Institute for Medical Engineering and Science (IMES), the MIT Deshpande Center, MIT Solve, the Medicine Innovation Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston Landing, and MIT Hacking Medicine.
The projects selected for 2025 are:
- GCFast: A non-invasive breath test using colorimetric sensors to detect gastric cancer early through volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- SilkBee Burn Relief: A silk-based wound dressing infused with honeybee nanoparticles to reduce burn scarring and inflammation.
- AVaTAR MedTech: A method for pediatric heart valve reconstruction using autologous tissue that grows with the patient.
- TRANSFORMER: A treatment for osteosarcoma that combines cold plasma gas and biomaterials to kill cancer cells and promote bone regeneration.
- NiADA: A cellphone app that non-invasively detects anemia through AI-based analysis of eyelid photographs.
- Impedrill: An orthopedic drill with bioimpedance monitoring to automatically stop when detecting soft tissue, improving safety and precision.
- FORESEE: An intravascular sensing platform that measures multiple cardiovascular parameters for better monitoring of chronic heart failure.
- JointWise: A wearable device that uses nanotechnology to monitor and detect early signs of joint deterioration in perimenopausal women.
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 January at MIT 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 April, the teams will meet again in a workshop to refine their project definition. Finally, in June 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
