Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge
SmarTrach won the Best Idea for Patient Safety at this year’s Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge. The Hollomon Health Innovation Challenge is hosted by the Foster School's Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Washington. The competition offers students a chance to showcase innovative solutions to existing and future problems in health and healthcare. The Final Round was held on Thursday, March 2, 2023. The Patient Safety Technology Challenge, funded by the Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, was excited to sponsor a $2,500 award to the team with the best tech-enabled solution. Thomas Gallegher, MD, associate chair of medicine for patient care quality, safety, and value at the University of Washington, judged the Patient Safety Technology Challenge: Best Idea for Patient Safety award.
The SmarTrach team recognized that the current standard of care for tracheostomy too often fails to identify obstructions before emergency care is required. SmarTrach is a tracheostomy tube attachment that uses a hot-wire airflow sensor that can measure real-time airflow. The device can recognize patient-specific deviations in breathing patterns. In addition, it can identify possible obstructions and alert caregivers via smartphone. SmarTrach team member, Vamsi Jonnalagadda shared that “our team is trying to help caregivers by developing a device that can monitor the patient’s safety and alert them before a life-saving intervention becomes necessary.” SmarTrach is harnessing technology to recognize potential harm before it occurs.
The SmarTrach team members include: University of Washington mechanical engineering students Hans Erickson, Dylan Heino, Vamsi Jonnalagadda, Clara Tamura and Seattle Children’s Hospital staff Leslie Elder, RN, Kelly Evans, MD, Thida Ong, MD. This collaboration between providers and students is inspiring. The Patient Safety Technology Challenge is passionate about fostering partnerships across disciplines and organizations that can bridge information gaps so robust, enterprising solutions can be created.