Health
The Fulton Schools’ efforts in health innovation range from understanding the causes behind Alzheimer’s disease and improving methods for predicting epileptic seizures to developing advanced biosensors, bioassays and lab-on-a-chip devices for clinical diagnostics. Additional areas of research exist in novel biological materials, neural engineering, biomedical informatics, drug-delivery systems, health care systems analysis and modeling, health monitoring devices and human rehabilitation technologies.
Engineering a Core Temperature Monitoring System to Support Patient Care at Risk of Exertional Heat Stress
Extremely high temperatures in Phoenix lead to a proportionally larger amount of heatstroke cases. EMS staff must treat patients in mobile ice baths, requiring quick and accurate core temperature readings. Current thermometers lack the accuracy, speed, and temperature ranges necessary for early intervention. More accurate esophageal thermometers are difficult to position during field airway management,…
Portable Smartphone Adapter for Imaging the Anterior and Posterior Segments of the Eye
Eye-related complaints are increasingly prevalent in emergency departments, where access to ophthalmologists is often limited. This gap can delay diagnosis and treatment, particularly for conditions requiring timely evaluation. A rapid, accessible method for capturing and sharing diagnostic-quality eye images would improve triage efficiency and support remote clinical decision-making in both hospital and resource-limited settings. TeleVision…
Systemic Sclerosis Calcinosis Outcomes with Wearable Ultrasound Technology (SCOUT)
Calcinosis, a debilitating complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc), affects up to 40% of patients and is typically identified only after symptom onset, when tissue damage and pain have already progressed. Current diagnostic workflows rely on reactive, high-cost imaging modalities such as MRI or CT, creating barriers to early detection and limiting routine screening in outpatient…
Computer Vision Quality Assurance for Medical Linear Accelerators
Each year, millions of patients undergo radiation treatment utilizing medical linear accelerators (linacs) due to their noninvasiveness and submillimeter precision. Although linacs offer innovative and advanced treatment plans, some mechanical QA procedures remain subjective due to human error. One of these being the verification of the optical distance indicator and vertical offset between the linac…
Real-Time and Non-Invasive Monitoring of IOP in Glaucoma Patients
Affecting approximately 3 million people in the United States, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness that manifests due to elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) damaging the optic nerve. Early detection of glaucomatous ocular environments allows for improved prognosis of the disease in an effort to reduce the rate at which symptoms become prevalent. Since glaucoma…
Smart Tourniquet for Acute Trauma
Major traumatic injuries to lower limbs require tourniquet intervention in nearly 90% of cases. Overtightening and improper application result in about 23% of patients experiencing long term nerve and tissue damage. These complications significantly lower the quality of life of the patient and can be a future roadblock to rehabilitation and prosthetic implementation. The Smart…
Clinical Communication Platform
Effective clinical communication is central to patient outcomes, yet nearly 50% of medical malpractice claims cite communication failures as a contributing factor. Current training relies on expensive, unscalable actor-based simulations that are cost-prohibitive. There is a critical need for an automated, data-driven coaching tool that provides objective, ongoing feedback on real patient interactions to reduce…
UroScan: Real-Time Urine Monitoring System
Accurate urine output monitoring is essential in hospitals because changes in urine volume, color, and clarity can indicate dehydration, infection, kidney dysfunction, or worsening patient condition. Despite its importance, urine output is still commonly measured manually by nurses, which can be time-consuming, inconsistent, and prone to error during long shifts and high patient loads. UroTrack…
Omni-Axis: Overbed Table Improvement
Hospitalized adult inpatients and clinical staff are poorly served by current overbed table designs, which lack maneuverability, ergonomic adaptability, and adequate storage. Surveys of Mayo Clinic staff confirm this need, with over 96% reporting difficulty moving existing models, compromising patient independence and obstructing critical workflow during emergencies. The AtlasWorks Omni-Axis Overbed Table reimagines the conventional…
Wearable Sleeve for Growth Modulation Monitoring
Jointelligence addresses the growth modulation surgery implant problem in collaboration with Phoenix Children’s Hospital and Dr. Mohan Bethlur, Dr. Subham Badhyal, and Benjamin Fife. Genu Valgum and Genu Varum (known as knock and bowed knees, respectively) are orthopedic conditions affecting pediatric patients. This condition is treated with titanium 8-plates being surgically fixed near the knee…