A team of biomedical engineering students took fourth place and won the audience choice award at the DisrupTexas Undergraduate Pitch Competition. The recognition included a $1,100 cash prize.
The Loop Medical Innovations team from L-R: Ajay Thatte, Abhishek Dasgupta, Eshan Sayani, Ronit Kar, and Juan Villacres Perez.
The team, named Loop Medical Innovations, designed a telehealth solution to lung function testing that normally is used during in-person office visits. Spirometry tests, which are beneficial for the diagnosis of lung conditions such as asthma and cystic fibrosis, are underutilized due to time and cost. These tests also generate aerosols, and, consequently, have been difficult for medical professionals to perform due to ongoing COVID-19 risks. The Loop Medical Innovations team designed a unique, error-minimizing spirometer that eliminates the hassle of in-person lung function testing in favor of a robust HIPAA-compliant telehealth option.
Five biomedical engineering seniors are on the Loop Medical Innovations team: Abhishek Dasgupta, Ronit Kar, Juan Villacres Perez, Eshan Sayani, and Ajay Thatte. Each student brought functional expertise in instrumentation, CAD modeling, product development, and clinical research. The team’s next step is to prototype their minimum viable product and raise funds to launch pilot testing.
