Innovative Showcase by UCC Medical and Engineering Students
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Innovative Showcase by UCC Medical and Engineering Students
16.02.2012

The Schools of Engineering and Medicine at UCC have successfully completed the first phase of a pioneering project which brings together students of both disciplines to work with consultant clinicians across Cork's teaching hospitals to develop innovative solutions to real clinical needs.

 

The Biomedical Design module was originally the brain-child of Dr Pádraig Cantillon Murphy, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UCC, and Professor George Shorten at the School of Medicine. The award-winning module concept led interdisciplinary student teams to develop novel solutions in clinical areas such as radiology, surgery, anaesthesia and orthopaedics. These solutions were recently showcased in a 'dragon's den' style seminar symposium, before a panel of independent experts including Dr Colman Casey (UCC College of Medicine and Health), Mr Joe Devlin (Boston Scientific), Mrn Jerry Shanahan (formely of DePuy Orthopaedics) and Dr Liam Marnane (UCC Electrical Engineering). The event was sponsored by Boston Scientific, UCC Schools of Medicine and Engineering, and John Smith and Sons.

The design with the greatest clinical and commercial potential, SecuRetract, an innovative solution to laparoscopic surgical retraction, was awarded the inaugural 'John Burke Perpetual Award for Biomedical Innovation'. The SecuRetract student team comprised of Grace Burke, Daniel Cummins, Richard Finn and Conor O’Donoghue is mentored by Mr Mícheál Ó Ríordán, Consultant Surgeon at Mercy University Hospital, Cork. The team is currently exploring a number of possible commercialisation strategies and was independently selected as runner-up in the UCC Bright Ideas Competition for 2012, a highlight of 'Innov8 Week' at UCC.

Dr Michael Creed (Head of UCC's School of Engineering) noted that "innovation is at the heart of the Biomedical Design module” while UCC's Dean of Medicine, Professor George Shorten added that "the new BioMedical Design module offers engineering and medical students the opportunity to extend their intellectual boundaries.”

The module's delivery is a combined effort led by Dr Padraig Cantillon-Murphy from Electrical and Electronic Engineering with significant contribution from Mr John McSweeney, Innovation Facilitator at UCC as well as guests from industry and academia.

Picture: John McSweeney, Innovation Facilitator, UCC, presenting the winning trophy to Grace Burke and fellow team members, Richard Finn, Daniel Cummins, and Conor O'Donoghue, students of the winning team involving medical and engineering students from UCC participating in a "dragon's den" style Biomedical Design symposium. Also included is Padraig Cantillon-Murphy, Lecturer, UCC.

 



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