Esade-URL, UPC and IED students develop innovative health solutions in conjunction with CERN

13.12.2022

Five teams of 27 university students with 14 different nationalities develop prototypes after 15 months’ work with CERN scientists in the framework of Challenge Based Innovation (CBI) program

Tuesday, December 13, 2022. Detection of eye problems in developing communities, provision of geriatric care in rural areas and diagnosis of lung cancer in the early stages are the innovative solutions developed by students from Esade-URL, the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech (UPC) and the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED Barcelona) within the framework of the ninth edition of the Challenge Based Innovation (CBI) program, promoted by @IdeaSquare and the Innovation Department at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) to encourage multidisciplinary teams of students, in conjunction with the teaching and research staff of several entities, to work on new solutions for the future of humanity.

This edition of the CBI has focused on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 of Agenda 2030, which seeks to ensure healthy living and promote the well-being of society. To this end, participants submitted innovative proposals to address this challenge and improve health, which they developed with the help of disruptive technologies in the Attract program.

Specifically, five university teams consisting of 27 students with 14 different nationalities –from the Full-Time MBA programs at Esade-URL, the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Barcelona School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSETB-UPC) and the IED – have worked for 15 weeks on start-up prototypes to address these challenges.

Proposals for enhancing health and promoting the wellbeing of society

Portable device incorporating AI to make ophthalmological diagnoses
The Fleming team has developed a low-cost portable device to perform ophthalmological examinations, based on Attract technologies and an automated diagnosis based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), designed to diagnose people with visual impairment from developing communities in Sierra Leone, a region that lacks resources and is increasingly affected by this problem.
Portable system to monitor the evolution of cancer
The Curie team studied how to make cancer treatment follow-up more accessible in rural areas and proposed a small, low-cost imaging system to monitor the evolution of tumors. They used a range-camera from an Attract program project and designed and prototyped a manual probe similar to a portable ultrasound system.
Device for diagnosing heart disease
The Sklodowska team addressed the shortage of geriatric care in rural areas of the Western Balkans and developed a heart disease diagnostic device requiring no highly trained staff.
Disruptive device to diagnose mesothelioma
The Manabe team has designed a device to diagnose mesothelioma – a form of lung cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers – amongst shipbreaking workers in Bangladesh. In addition to offering diagnosis based on the hyperspectral analysis of pleural fluid using disruptive Attract technology, they provide a program to raise awareness about this problem among workers.
Detecting lung cancer in the breath
The Galilei team has risen to the challenge of detecting lung cancer in its early stages, given the low survival rate when it is detected on account of symptoms. They propose very sensitive, single-photon detection technology, developed with help from the Attract program, that detects lung cancer in the breath by using specific biomarkers currently in the experimental phase.