Finalists selected for $250K pediatric medical device competition

WASHINGTON – (Sept. 7, 2017) – Twelve finalists have been selected to pitch their pediatric medical device innovation during the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI) competition at the Fifth Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium. Hosted by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System, the Symposium will be held on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017 in San Jose, Calif. Up to six prizes totaling $250,000 will be awarded to the winning presentations and each awardee will receive consultation services from the FDA-funded consortium.

The goal of the competition is to provide financial support coupled with consultation services that will help bring pediatric devices to market faster by bridging the gap that often follows the prototyping phase in the device development life cycle. 

Selected from a record number of 98 applications received from across the U.S. and internationally, the finalists are:

• Anecare, LLC, Salt Lake City, Utah – disposable device for use by pediatric anesthesiologists to remove unwanted anesthetics at the end of surgery to reduce the risk of side effects
• ApnoSystems, Buenos Aires, Argentina – wearable and wireless pulse-oximetry-based rescue device to detect a problem during a baby's sleep and interrupt via mild stimulation
• CorInnova, Houston, Texas – soft robotic, non-blood-contacting biventricular cardiac assist device for the treatment of heart failure in children
• Deton Corp., Pasadena, Calif. – “cough collector” device that captures airborne bacteria from a cough to aid in the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in children
• Green Sun Medical, Fort Collins, Colo. – novel device that provides necessary pressure for the correction of spinal deformity while providing real-time feedback to clinicians
• Hub Hygiene, Atlanta, Ga. – low-cost, single-use cleaning technology to prevent central line-associated blood stream infections (CLABSI), a hospital-acquired infection by pediatric ICU patients
• Kite Medical, Dublin, Ireland – novel device to detect kidney reflux via a single-use electrode belt, avoiding the radiation exposure to children under current standard-of-care
• Moyarta 2, LLC, The Plains, Va. – adjustable device that seamlessly fits within the brace of a scoliosis patient, providing inflation and deflation controlled by patient smartphone, to improve comfort and provide optimal correction
• NAVi Medical Technologies, Houston, Texas – device to provide accurate information about the localization of an umbilical venous catheter (UVC) used in critically-ill newborns to reduce the risk of catheter malposition
• Oculogica, Inc., New York, N.Y. – novel, non-invasive eye tracking device to rapidly and accurately detect the effects of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) following a traumatic brain injury
• Prapela, LLC, Boston, Mass. – novel "baby box" that will allow for a non-pharmacological approach to help drug-exposed infants relax and sleep during withdrawal and post-withdrawal care
• X-Biomedical, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa. – portable surgical microscope for use in surgeries for treatable causes of blindness in low-income countries and under-resourced settings

“The impressive number of qualified applications we received from around the world speaks to the enthusiasm of medtech innovators to develop and test devices specifically to address unmet needs for children,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., executive director of the Sheikh Zayed Institute and NCC-PDI. “We are committed to building on this momentum and keeping the conversation going with all who applied and will provide consultation services if needed.”

Each finalist will have five minutes to present their proposal to the judging panel, which includes Susan Alpert, M.D., of SFA Consulting, a former director of the FDA Office of Device Evaluation and former senior vice president and chief regulatory officer of Medtronic; Charles Berul, M.D., of Children’s National; Andrew Elbardissi, M.D., of Deerfield Management; Rick Greenwald, Ph.D., of the New England Pediatric Device Consortium (NEPDC); Josh Makower, M.D., of NEA; Jennifer McCaney, Ph.D., of MedTech Innovator; and Jackie Phillips, M.D., of Johnson & Johnson; and Tracy Warren, M.B.A, of Astarte Ventures.

Through this competition to date, NCC-PDI and the Sheikh Zayed Institute have supported 67 startups and research labs and awarded funding to 26.
The “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” competition, funded by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through NCC-PDI, is a part of the Sheikh Zayed Institute’s Fifth Annual Pediatric Device Innovation Symposium. 

New this year, the nation’s leading pediatric innovation symposium is co-locating in San Jose, Calif. in a joint effort with The MedTech Conference powered by AdvaMed. The one-day symposium brings together medical device innovators, investors, researchers, clinicians and policy makers to stimulate pediatric device innovation and bring solutions to market faster for the benefit of children everywhere. This year’s theme is “partnering for breakthroughs in pediatric surgery and care.” Keynote speakers include Daniel Kraft, M.D., faculty chair of Medicine & Neuroscience, Singularity University and executive director, Exponential Medicine; Vasum Peiris, M.D., chief medical officer, Pediatrics and Special Populations, FDA; and Alan Flake, M.D., director of Center for Fetal Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 

For the symposium agenda and registration, visit pediatric-device-symposium.org. 

Contact: Debbie Asrate (202) 476-4500 

About Children’s National Health System
Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is #1 for babies and ranked in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report including placement in the top 10 for: Cancer (#7), Neurology and Neurosurgery (#9) Orthopedics (#9) and Nephrology (#10). Children’s National has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is one of the nation’s top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, visit ChildrensNational.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.