Over the summer of 2014 a group of highly motivated engineering students from Concord High School in Wilmington, Delaware, set out to solve a real world problem. After exploring various options in the local community, the team found themselves partnered with a local hospital designing a metal detection system for the textile department.
WANTED: PROBLEM SOLVERS
Lemelson-MIT sent out a call to action to young innovators everywhere: to create an invention tackling a problem within their community. Concord was quick to start the application process:
In September of 2014 we received word that we had been selected as the first Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam from Delaware. We received an $8,000 InvenTeam grant to fund our invention process.
In June of 2015 InvenTeams from across the Nation converged at the annual showcase, EurekaFest, to celebrate their inventions.
WANTED: PROBLEM SOLVERS
Lemelson-MIT sent out a call to action to young innovators everywhere: to create an invention tackling a problem within their community. Concord was quick to start the application process:
- researching the problem
- creating a budget and a timeline
- proposing an invention
In September of 2014 we received word that we had been selected as the first Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam from Delaware. We received an $8,000 InvenTeam grant to fund our invention process.
In June of 2015 InvenTeams from across the Nation converged at the annual showcase, EurekaFest, to celebrate their inventions.
OUR PROBLEM
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Our Invention
The Concord High School InvenTeam has invented the Specialized Hazard And Risk Prevention (SHARP) System to be used in hospital textile facilities. The SHARP System protects employees from pricking themselves on potentially infectious surgical tools made from martensitic stainless steel, such as scissors and forceps that may contain HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV). By reducing the number of employee accidents involving surgical tools, our machine saves users between $500-$3,000 per accident by eliminating the need for laboratory testing and potential treatment costs (There are about 57,750 cases in this department nationally every year). The SHARP System also prevents sharp tools from reaching the rubber bladder used in pressing the water out of the washed linens. By preventing sharps from puncturing the rubber bladder, our machine saves users $5,000 per bladder puncture. Additionally, it prevents the facility from experiencing a four hour shut-down necessary for repairing the bladder. In a facility that washes 32,000lbs per day, this equates to 16,000lbs of unwashed laundry. The SHARP System also detects RFID badges (about 10 times a week) lost in the linens before they become damaged in the wash, saving users of our device $100 per badge found. Our device detects surgical tools made from martensitic stainless steel up to 4.5” away. It can also detect RFID badges up to 4.5” away. It can detect needles made from magnetizable or magnetized stainless steel alloy up to 2” away. The SHARP System uses a metal detector to identify metal present in a pile of soiled linen. This initial detection triggers a piston to fire and remove soiled linens from a conveyor belt. It also features a visual display to alert sorters when dangerous metals are present in the linens. The machine is designed to the specific dimensions of Christiana Care’s textile facility, however, conceptually our device can be implemented into any hospital. The machine fits onto a conveyor belt, in a compact functioning workspace within a 4’ x 5’ 6” footprint. The disruption to labor is minimal, taking 5 seconds to detect the metal, remove the metal, and reset the machine for continued operation. |
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