2024 Collegiate Inventors Competition Finalists Showcase the Future of American Innovation

NORTH CANTON, Ohio — Sept. 26, 2024 — The Collegiate Inventors Competition^®, an annual competition that has rewarded innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisers for nearly 35 years, announced today its 2024 finalists. 

This year’s finalists and their inventions provide a glimpse into the future of American innovation and emerging technological trends — from reducing risks in fetal surgeries to a better way to care for pets. Through their research, these students have harnessed their “inner inventor” to make working prototypes that can positively change our world.

Each year, individuals representing a broad cross-section of technological fields serve as first-round judges, evaluating entries based on originality of the idea, process, level of student initiative, and potential value and usefulness to society. The finalists will present their inventions Oct. 16 to a panel of final-round judges composed of the most influential inventors and invention experts in the nation — National Inventors Hall of Fame^® Inductees and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officials. Winning teams will be announced on Oct. 17.

“With a shared mission to ensure that America’s rich history of ingenuity is carried into the future, the USPTO is proud to partner with the National Inventors Hall of Fame to support the Collegiate Inventors Competition,” said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. “We look forward to recognizing these young innovators for developing inventions to solve real-world problems.”

Established in 1990, the Collegiate Inventors Competition is a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and is sponsored by the USPTO and Honda. Follow the National Inventors Hall of Fame on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram for updates and additional information.

UNDERGRADUATE FINALISTS

FetalCare Port System, Johns Hopkins University

Team Members: Selena Shirkin, Eric McAlexander, Gloria Kalnitskaya, Ayeeshi Poosarla; Adviser: Ahmet Baschat

Reducing risks in fetal surgeries: Fetal surgery can correct life-threatening fetal abnormalities in the womb with minimally invasive procedures. However, without specific surgical tools designed for fetal use, surgeons must adapt instruments meant for other procedures and indications. To address this issue, the FetalCare Port System is tailored to the uterine environment, reducing risks of membrane rupture and pre-term births – critical problems in fetal surgeries. The system’s unique design, with an obturator that allows for more precise cutting through the uterine membrane and a radially expanding port sheath, streamlines the surgical process and improves overall efficiency.

MyMeniscus+, Duke University

Team Member: Kishen Mitra; Adviser: Samuel Adams

Keeping people in motion: The meniscus – a connective tissue that provides knee joint stability – is prone to tearing, which can impact athletes’ and active-duty military members’ careers. Existing artificial menisci come in a limited range of sizes and shapes, which often lead to uneven stress distribution and accelerated wear. MyMeniscus+ is an anatomically accurate, 3D-printed meniscal implant with internal shock absorption networks that can be tailored to factors such as a patient’s weight, age and activity level. With reinforcement structures in high-risk zones, it also can help prevent future injuries in this active population.

The Nerve Ninja, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Team Members: Zach Spears, Molly Paras, Lauren Fitzsimmons; Adviser: John P. Puccinelli

A precise solution for safer surgeries: Iatrogenic injuries, or unintentional damage in medical treatments, can occur in many surgeries. In delicate carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgeries, there can be direct damage to nerves and tissue from surgical instruments that have not progressed in decades. The Nerve Ninja enhances safety and efficiency during such procedures by combining the precision of a scalpel blade with the utility of surgical scissors. Featuring a surgical forceps with a groove along one tine and a scalpel slider housed on top, this invention allows surgeons to safely and easily dissect and cut tissue

Neuralis^™, by Synaptrix Labs, New York University

Team Members: Aryan Govil, Eric Yao; Adviser: Trushant Majmudar

Empowerment through thought: About 5.4 million Americans live with some form of paralysis. Those with severe paralysis may be unable to speak, though the brain can still generate thoughts and signals about movement and communication. Designed to enhance quality of life, Neuralis is a noninvasive brain-computer interface that leverages brain activity and eye movements. This innovative device, intended for those with total limb loss, aims to empower users by allowing them to control mobility devices with their thoughts. Neuralis is compatible with major wheelchair brands, prioritizes user comfort and easily can be integrated into daily life.

Pet HealthCare Innovations Mobility Ecosystem^™, Florida Atlantic University

Team Member: John Thomerson; Advisers: Regina Thompson, Kevin Cox

A better way to care for pets: In the U.S., more than 13 million dogs suffer annually due to mobility impairment or an inability to empty their bladders without assistance. Existing solutions can be unsanitary, frustrating and injury-prone for owners and pets, so Pet HealthCare Innovations developed its Mobility Ecosystem devices, designed to assist mobility-impaired dogs and other pets with mobility, relieving themselves and receiving bladder expression. These devices support a pet's weight, are clean and easy to use, and are moderately priced. The goal is to reduce euthanasia for mobility-impaired pets and improve their health and lifespan.

GRADUATE FINALISTS

AgriNUE, University of Pittsburgh

Team Members: Alireza Mohammadzadeh, Patrick Dunn; Advisers: Steven Little, Leanne Gilbertson, Emilly Elliot

A sustainable fertilizer solution: Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for crop growth and sustaining global food production, but its inefficient use often leads to environmental and health issues. AgriNUE addresses these challenges by encapsulating fertilizers in microscopic, soil-penetrating, plant-based lipid particles, similar to those used in COVID-19 vaccines. These biodegradable particles slow the nutrient movement in the soil, extending their availability to plants. Designed to release nutrients only near root zones, this approach enhances nutrient use efficiency, reduces nitrogen loss and minimizes environmental impact, providing a more sustainable fertilization method.

Color-Metric Sensing of Amine Compounds for Illicit Drug Detection, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Team Members: Naz Fathma Tumpa, Aiden Hawkins; Advisers: Michael G. Walter, Tyler J. Adams

An innovative drug testing solution: As the number of lives affected by illegal or inappropriate drug use continues to rise, this invention can help by offering a new way to detect amines, which are present in a variety of illicit drugs. The cost-effective test uses photoreactive dyes encased in a nontoxic, hydrophilic, biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogel polymer film to quickly and easily oxidize amine-containing compounds to produce vibrant changes in color and fluorescence.

MiGUT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Team Member: Adam Gierlach; Advisers: Giovanni Traverso, Anantha P. Chandrakasan

Easier GI monitoring: The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a complex network of neurons that controls the gastrointestinal (GI) tract's function, regulating the movement of food and hormone secretion. Disorders related to the ENS' electrical signaling cause many GI issues, but there are no noninvasive diagnostic tools available. MiGUT (multimodal electrophysiology via ingestible, gastric, untethered tracking) is a new device that records biopotentials in the stomach and wirelessly transmits data to a base station. Swallowed in capsule form, MiGUT enables faster diagnosis, reduces the need for multiple procedures and improves patient comfort during continuous monitoring.

Nutrient-Stabilizing Materials, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Team Member: Linzixuan (Rhoda) Zhang; Advisers: Robert Langer, Ana Jaklenec

Fortifying foods for better world health: The World Health Organization promotes food fortification as the most cost-effective way to address the micronutrient deficiencies experienced by 2 billion people worldwide. While conventional methods of fortifying foods with nutrient supplements can lead to health and environmental issues, Nutrient-Stabilizing Materials offer an innovative alternative. Based on metal-organic frameworks, crystalline compounds consisting of metal ions or clusters chemically bonded with organic molecules, Nutrient-Stabilizing Materials can be incorporated into foods or taken orally as supplements. Production is time-efficient, energy-efficient, cost-effective and scalable. Using only food-derived molecules, the result is a safe, natural product.

Photoconductive Semiconductor Switch (PCSS), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Team Members: Zhuoran Han, Jaekwon Lee; Adviser: Can Bayram

A reliable switch for a carbon-neutral electric grid: Increased energy demand and climate change cause power outages, disrupting daily lives and costing American households $150 billion annually. Photoconductive Semiconductor Switches (PCSS) promise to address complex challenges faced by the aging U.S. power grid and transform it into a more reliable and resilient grid. The diamond-based PCSS technology allows for faster recovery from outages and improves grid stability with rapid switching, high-voltage capabilities and exceptional reliability, while reducing reliance on fossil fuels, enabling wider adoption of renewable sources and advancing toward net-zero emissions.

About the Collegiate Inventors Competition

The Collegiate Inventors Competition encourages and drives innovation and entrepreneurship at the collegiate level. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, this competition recognizes and rewards the research, innovations and discoveries by college students and their advisers for projects leading to inventions that have the potential of receiving patent protection. Introduced in 1990, the competition has featured more than 500 innovators who have created cutting-edge, world-changing inventions, and awarded more than $1 million of support to winning student teams for their innovative work and scientific achievement through the help of its sponsors. For more information, visit invent.org/collegiate-inventors.

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CONTACT:

Ken Torisky
National Inventors Hall of Fame
[email protected]
234-901-6085