This will help children cope with life-threatening afflictions

WASHINGTON --- The two winning pediatric medical device innovations for this year will be announced at the Annual Pediatric Surgical Innovation Symposium, hosted by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System on Friday, 23rd October.

Eight finalists, representing outstanding pediatric medical device innovations, were selected to pitch their device concept for a chance to receive one of two US$50,000 awards at the symposium.

Selected from a competitive field of 53 entries received from across the US and internationally, the finalists are: :: Healthcare Unbound, San Francisco, Calif. – noninvasive therapy for chest deformities in children :: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Media Lab, Cambridge, Mass. – device that provides improved sensitivity and accuracy of ear infection diagnostics :: Texas Tech University Health Science Center, El Paso, Texas – internal, motorized bone lengthener device for children :: Stanford University, Stanford, Calif. – neonatal umbilical catheter stabilization and infection protection device :: AventaMed, Cork, Ireland – pediatric ear tube device that does not require full general anesthesia :: Children’s National Health System, Washington, DC – real-time, non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram to diagnose fetal arrhythmias :: Prospiria, Inc., Galveston, Texas – noninvasive device using optoacoustic imaging to monitor endotracheal tube positioning for pediatric life support patients :: Actuated Medical, Bellefonte, Pa. – controlled, micron-scale needle oscillation system to enable oblique access as well as reduce insertion force, anesthesia exposure, and reoperation rates for pediatric bone biopsies and bone marrow aspirations.

"We received so many stellar entries this year that truly address a significant unmet need within the pediatric population – it was quite difficult for the committee to narrow down the top eight finalists," said Kolaleh Eskandanian, PhD, MBA, PMP, Executive Director of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation. "This impressive line-up features eight inspiring ideas that can make a major difference in the care of pediatric patients and we look forward to providing funding support to two of these innovators in the hopes of bringing their device to market faster."

The one-day forum will bring together patient advocates, researchers, innovators, venture capitalists, regulators, and policy makers, including key leaders from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to examine and discuss the challenges surrounding the pediatric market and the need for incentives and legislation to stimulate pediatric surgical and device innovation. Keynote speakers include Robert M. Califf, MD, MACC, Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco at the FDA, who was recently nominated for FDA Commissioner, and Geoffrey Ling, MD, PhD, leading innovator and Director of DARPA Biological Technologies.

Founded in 2010 through a US$150 million gift from the government of Abu Dhabi, the mission of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation (SZI) is to make pediatric surgery more precise, less invasive, and pain free.

In its very short existence, the Institute lists among many achievements creating a strong infrastructure for R&D and a network of product and medical device development experts, and seasoned veterans in venture capital, technology commercialization, and intellectual property. The institute is process-driven and outcome-focused. It is comprised of multi-disciplinary teams that apply rigorous process management from conception to marketed product through creative partnerships in academia and industry.

The Institute was founded with four major clinical themes to transform pediatric surgical innovation and intervention. These are in: pediatric pain and anesthesia, immunology, bioengineering and systems biology.

The Institute currently has more than 20 investigators primarily affiliated with the institute and more than 70 technical and scientific staff, including postgraduate and graduate students and fellows. The Institute is further supported by, and has access to, more than 600 clinicians and clinician-scientists with Children’s National and the Children’s Research Institute, the research arm of Children’s National.