UNeMed is sponsoring its latest “Back-o-the-Napkin” contest, putting out a call for inventive UNMC and University of Nebraska at Omaha faculty, staff and students to submit ideas for new inventions and better ways.
Eligible entries will be limited to medical devices and innovations related to artificial intelligence programs or systems, software tools and applications, and research tools.
The deadline for entries is March 6.
All eligible entries will be judged by UNeMed’s internal Science and Technology Advisory Committee. Submissions will be evaluated for their novelty, market potential and possible intellectual property protection.
Top entries with the most viable path to a business or product will be awarded additional development and financial support, which may include prototyping, feasibility testing, other developmental guidance and support as deemed most appropriate by the committee.
Designed to resemble actual napkins, entry forms ask that inventors draw and describe their ideas. Physical forms can be found at various locations around campus, including the McGoogan Library and the Innovation Design Unit.
A digital version can be downloaded from this webpage.
Submit completed entries via email to UNeMed or via campus mail at 6099.
UNeMed’s Innovation Ambassadors will have access to the entry forms and can provide assistance and guidance.
Previous winners include:
- Wearable pinch ligation device — Quan Ly, MD, and Meghana Kashyap, MD, UNMC College of Medicine, Department of Surgery.
- Single laser measurement device for jump testing — Michael Rosenthal, DSc, Elizabeth Wellsandt, DPT, PhD, and Michael Wellsandt, DPT, UNMC, UNMC College of Allied Health Professions.
- Beam helmet — Elizabeth Beam, PhD, assistant professor, UNMC College of Nursing.
- Light pipe retinal viewer — Pukraj Rishi, UNMC College of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.
- Retrograde cerebral protection central catheter — Aleem Siddique, MBBS, UNMC, College of Medicine, Department of Surgery.
Funding and additional support for the contest is provided by the Great Plains IDeA-CTR.
In addition to a detailed description and as many details about the invention as possible, the form requires the inventors to provide contact information and requires all inventors sign and date the form. Read fine print at this link.