Cast Your Vote for CIC!

The 2019 Collegiate Inventors Competition^® (CIC) is just around the corner! With the event comes the opportunity to learn more about this year’s brilliant competitors and their remarkable inventions.

Five Undergraduate and five Graduate teams will participate in the competition, which will take place Oct. 29-30 at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. After a morning of judging on Wednesday, teams will present their inventions to the public at the Expo, held in the USPTO’s Upper Atrium from 2-4 p.m. Finalists will interact with Expo visitors, answer questions about their inventions and demonstrate prototypes if available.

A highlight of this year’s CIC event is the Arrow Electronics People’s Choice Award. Voting for this award opens Monday, Oct. 28 at 9 a.m. EST and closes Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. EDT. Votes are submitted electronically either online prior to the event or in-person on the day of the Expo. At the Expo, voting stations will be set up for visitors to vote for their favorite team. The winning team will then be announced at the Awards Dinner later that evening, where they will receive prize money alongside the Winners and Runners-Up.

Excited to help your favorite team win? The link for online voting can be found here.

Don’t forget to bookmark the voting link page above so you can begin casting ballots the morning of Oct. 28. While doing so, also be sure to read up on our 2019 Finalists. A preview of the teams and their inventions can be found below.

Undergraduate Finalists

Compressor-Turbine Fusion, Oklahoma State University

Compressor-Turbine Fusion increases the efficiency of thermodynamic cycles and power equipment, decreases the production of greenhouse gases and can make alternative energy more competitive with traditional power sources.

Dual Monitoring Telemedicine Solution for Diabetic Foot Ulcer, Columbia University

Dual Monitoring Telemedicine Solution for Diabetic Foot Ulcer allows patients to monitor for ulcers at home and electronically send information to their doctors. This product is the first to detect symptoms of ulcers with both digital images and algorithms.

PE-IVT (Positively Engaged, Infinitely Variable Transmission Using Split Helical Gears), University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Positively Engaged, Infinitely Variable Transmission (PE-IVT) represents a new class of transmission that combines the torque of gear-based transmissions with the efficiency of continuously variable transmissions.

PeritoneX, Johns Hopkins University

This syringe-based mechanism can improve lives by minimizing the potential for infection without increasing the time or dexterity required to perform peritoneal dialysis.

SecURO, Georgia Institute of Technology

SecURO is a single-use, automatic circular stitching device that places the stitches with the pull of a trigger, eliminating problems associated with hand-stitching for prostate removal procedures.

Graduate Finalists

Cubic LEDs, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

For brighter, more efficient, more affordable full-spectrum phosphor-free lighting, Cubic LEDs are created on industry-standard silicon substrates nano-patterned with U-shaped grooves to facilitate the growth of pure, defect-free cubic phase gallium nitride.

EasyWhip, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The EasyWhip™ double-loop stitching apparatus is the first to leverage removable, connected needle portions, resulting in a new whip stitching method that improves graft accuracy, reduces the need for costly revision surgeries and provides better overall outcomes for patients.

Infinite Cooling, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Because 39% of all freshwater withdrawals in the United States are attributed to power plants, Infinite Cooling can ionize and collect water from power plants’ cooling towers so it may be reused as industrial and drinking water.

Nanodropper, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine; University of Washington

Nanodropper is a universal adapter for eyedrop medication bottles that creates smaller and more efficacious droplets to reduce waste, decreases per-dose costs, and ultimately increases access to expensive, essential medications.

SALUS (Stabilizing Aerial Loads Utility System), Georgia Institute of Technology; Stanford University

SALUS (Stabilizing Aerial Loads Utility System) is an electromechanical stabilization system that uses flywheel technology for safer aerial transport.