The “MedicMetrics” project, developed by Catarina Martins, Luísa Costa, Maria do Carmo Raimundo, Maria Jacinto and Teresa Marcelino (Biomedical Engineering MSc students ), won the 1st edition of G-Battle, an innovation competition aimed at higher education students, promoted by Glintt. The project consists of a software to help hospitals improving its surgical planning. The Técnico students competed with 24 teams from different universities and polytechnics, and won a €1,500 cash prize.
“When we decided to participate, we weren’t expecting to win. Even after being chosen as one of the ten finalist teams, we did not consider the possibility of winning the final prize”, recalls Maria Jacinto. “It was only towards the end of the competition, while announcing the other winners and honourable mentions, that we thought ‘well, maybe we will win’”, shared the Técnico student.
The challenge launched by Glintt consisted of developing an innovative idea that make access and provision of healthcare more efficient. The Técnico team considered that the “MedicMetrics” project could be a differentiating response to this challenge. The software developed by the Técnico students allows to improve surgical planning, hospital dynamics and prediction of surgical times. It also facilitates communication between health professionals and allows to better control the occupation of spaces in real time.
“Surgical activity it’s very important because it represents a large percentage of both hospital expenses and revenues”, stresses Catarina Martins. Using technologies based on Machine learning and RFID, “MedicMetrics” represents an innovative solution that promises to improve monitoring and planning of operating room activity.
Additionally, the software uses radio frequency identification through wristbands in order to store real time patient data in the different surgical stages”, explains Catarina Martins. The students intend to develop mobile and web interfaces “that will allow access to information namely hospital’s statistics, surgery requests, occupation of all operating rooms and also communication between healthcare professionals”, says Catarina Martins.
“We believe that, besides all these valuable inputs, our project is easy to implement”, highlights Luísa Costa. “MedicMetrics is based on a consistent idea that aims to facilitate the work of all entities involved, and whose impact on patients is very important”, she adds.
The winning project was developed within the scope of the Biomedical Engineering Project curricular unit, responding to a challenge launched by mentors Mónica Oliveira (Department of Engineering and Management-DEG), and João Leal, Mariana Raposo and Daniela Burrinha, professionals of CUF group.
The team will continue to work on the project until the end of December. “We want to take this project as far as we can to demonstrate our product’s value”, says Teresa Marcelino.
