The four students scooped the award for their project Pilot, by Precision Path Medical, a handheld bio-medical device for enteral feeding. Providing directional capabilities, the device allows for more efficient placement by doctors of nasointestinal feeding tubes, reducing insertion times and patient discomfort.
The competition, which was first held in 2000, recognises and celebrate projects by third-level engineering students that showcase innovation, sustainability, and commercial potential. Previous winners of the award include Brandon Blacoe, designer of the Proteus Controller used with Xbox and PC, and Jack and Nick Cotter, named in the Sunday Independent’s Top 30 under 30 Entrepreneurs, for their development of the Cotter Crate sheep-handling system.
This year’s finalists also included, Noreen Kennedy, from ATU Galway, who has conducted cutting-edge research focused on simulation testing and microwave ablation technology, used to treat atrial fibrillation; Temi Adegbesan, Adele McKenna, Luke Debtuch, Claire Honan, and Ferdia McGuiness, from Trinity College, Dublin, who have designed a device that would aid in the detection of cranial abnormalities; Liam O'Brien, Michael Howe, Thomas Ryan, Stephen Rochford, and Peter O’Donoghue, from the University of Limerick, who are aiming to improve the field of pressure ulcer prevention with, Glute Guard, an innovative wheelchair cushion; and Sarah Jane Hughes, from the University of Galway, who has developed innovative solutions in the construction industry, including a custom app for site inspections.
Judging this year’s entries were Joe Walsh, Director and General Manager of Siemens Ireland; Krystyna Dimtchev, Senior Project Manager at Arcadis and Vice-Chair of Engineers Ireland’s Women in Engineering Group; Niamh Hegarty, Director of Advanced Operations at Stryker; and Dave Ludgate, Associate Director and Sustainability Lead for Water at AECOM.
Speaking, following the naming of this year’s winner, Joe Walsh of Siemens Ireland said: “Siemens Ireland is delighted to once again sponsor this exciting award, which celebrates and encourages third-level students’ innovation and creativity in engineering. The standard of entries this year has been exceptional and is a testament to the quality and ingenuity of young people pursuing careers in the engineering profession. We are proud of our relationship with Engineers Ireland in fostering this young talent and wish to congratulate our winner Rachel O'Dell, Muirne McCarthy, Mary Carey, and Ella Murphy, and all of the finalists on their achievements today.”
Damien Owens, Director General of Engineers Ireland, added: Engineering in healthcare has grown significantly in recent years, which an expanding range of new devices both aiding both healthcare practitioners in delivering care and adding to the quality of life of patients. Through their remarkable project, Pilot, today’s winners Rachel O'Dell, Muirne McCarthy, Mary Carey, and Ella Murphy have found yet another avenue through which engineering can improve the experiences doctors and patients alike.
