Application
The Challenges
General guidelines for challenge presentation
The challenge must be in the medical field (e.g. needs related to improving medical treatment, prevention of diseases and their complications, diagnosis or prognosis of medical conditions, improving a medical-related process, disease management, remote monitoring, public health improvment).
You should make an effort to validate that there aren’t good solutions for the challenge according to the publicly available information. It is also advisable to validate the challenge with a medical care professional.
The challenge and the suggested solution cannot be based on work developed or in development in any organized form (e.g. within the framework of an engineering project, advanced degree, other hackathon events, etc.).
You may add to the written description a link for a short video clip in which you present your challenge.
Challenge Example: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment
Optional add: link to a 5 min video clip presenting the challenge
Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which breathing stops involuntarily for brief periods of time during sleep. Normally, air flows smoothly from the mouth and nose into the lungs at all times. Periods when breathing stops are called apnea or apneic episodes. In OSA, the normal flow of air is repeatedly stopped throughout the night. The flow of air stops because airway space in the area of the throat is too narrow. Snoring is characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring is caused by airflow squeezing through the narrowed airway space. Untreated sleep apnea can cause serious health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Proper diagnosis and treatment are essential to prevent complications.
Current treatment: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the first line of treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP is administered through a facemask that is worn at night. The facemask gently delivers positive airflow to keep the airways open at night. The positive airflow props the airways open. CPAP is a highly effective treatment for sleep apnea. A dental device may also be necessary to keep the lower jaw positioned forward.
Major drawback: Despite the great variety of CPAP devices and accessories available in the market, they still have poor adherence and are subject to complaints from patients and families. Many diagnosed patients receiving CPAP treatment will not use it at all (30-80%) or will use it for a few hours overnight.
References:
Dasgupta, R (2021). Obstructive Sleep Apnea | Treatment. healthline. Link
Weaver, TE (2022). Assessing and managing nonadherence with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for adults with obstructive sleep apnea. UpToDate, Link
Bitterman, N, Klimovich, K & Pillar G (2019). Home healthcare devices. Challenge of CPAP design for effective home treatment. The Design Journal. Link