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SearchCompetition promotes culture of innovation across Cleveland Clinic.
When Geoff Vince, PhD, took the helm as Executive Director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations (CCI) more than two years ago, his vision included implementing a new operating model for translating ideas into commercially viable healthcare solutions. A key component of this new model was establishing a team of Engagement Partners who focus on supporting and guiding inventors through the innovation process. Through building connections with inventors and working closely with Institute Innovation Leads, the Engagement Partners, under the leadership of Sarah Stamp, Engagement General Manager, help champion innovation in each institute.
To foster a culture of passion for innovation within Cleveland Clinic, the Engagement Team created the Structured Innovation Challenge, a competition aimed at empowering caregivers to generate transformative ideas that will benefit the lives of patients. The Challenge, developed by CCI and sponsored by the Philanthropy Institute, launched in September. There were 14 teams comprising 64 participants, who collectively represented 13 departments from six institutes across the Ohio and Florida markets. Participants were identified by Institute Innovation Leads and met weekly to learn innovation theory, including identifying unmet clinical needs, basics of intellectual property, articulating a value proposition, and proposing a commercially viable solution. With the support of their dedicated innovation mentor, teams submitted their ideas in an invention disclosure form (IDF) to CCI, where they were further assessed for commercialization potential.
“This competition promotes the culture of innovation across the Cleveland Clinic. I am truly excited to see the work that these teams have put in over the past few months and look forward to how patient care may be impacted. The partnership with Philanthropy has allowed for this award to be a catalyst to create transformative solutions to enhance care.”
Geoffrey Vince, Executive Director, Cleveland Clinic Innovations
(L to R) Kate Matthews, Ashley Ratliff, Shirley Paski, and Amanda Bode present PreFeed.
Following the conclusion of the Structured Innovation Challenge in November, CCI reviewed the IDFs and selected three teams to compete in the Structured Innovation Challenge Pitch Competition. Leading up to the pitch competition at the Intercontinental Hotel in December, the three teams of finalists worked with their innovation mentors to hone their solutions in preparation to compete for a $50,000 catalyst award.
The finalists included team FEED – Fueling Excellence in Enteral Delivery, consisting of women at the heart of enteral nutrition uniquely positioned to identify and solve problems with current treatment. From the front-line gastroenterologist who places the feeding tube to a pharmacist, on the back end, who is responsible for ensuring appropriate medications & dosage, team FEED was made complete by two passionate dietitians who work every day to train, monitor and guide patients throughout their journey.
Chelsea Feng presents the MIMI measurement system.
Also selected were the Abdominal Innovators. With their advanced expertise in clinical robotic and laparoscopic surgery, the diverse group from the Department of General Surgery leads the way in surgical technology and establishes themselves as academic pioneers in the field. The team developed a groundbreaking measuring device, the Minimally Invasive Measurement Instrument (MIMI), that can set new standards in surgical care. Precise, efficient, and safe, their innovative approach has the potential to transform the surgical landscape and enhance lives.
Rounding out the finalists was team “Sac it to ‘em”. Comprised of a talented team of gynecologic and urologic surgeons, the team conceived a groundbreaking tool to streamline specimen bagging in laparoscopy by efficiently enclosing and extracting large tissues. Their innovative approach has the potential to compress a nearly 30-minute procedure into a matter of seconds, thereby alleviating frustration for both novice and seasoned surgeons alike. Although initially conceived with a focus on women’s health and outcomes, their invention is poised to revolutionize specimen-bagging practices across surgical specialties.
(L to R) Lindsey Valentine, Cara King, Emily Frisch, Brad Gill and Liron Bar-El provide an overview of their advanced laparoscopic bagging device.
During the pitch competition, each team did an exceptional job presenting their solutions to the panel of judges. Following their pitch, each team fielded questions from judges who evaluated them on originality, feasibility, potential impact, scalability, market opportunity, and alignment with CCI’s strategic goals.
Upon deliberation from the judges, the winning award was presented to the Abdominal Innovators for their Minimally Invasive Measurement Instrument (MIMI) invention. MIMI is a measurement system consisting of two or more small (<2mm size) wireless local positioning sensors secured to the distal end of any surgical instrument or adhered to a surgeon’s fingertips, and an integrative software and display monitor to provide accurate 3D measurements real-time. The MIMI system uses commercially available micro-positioning sensors utilizing either radiofrequency or electromagnetic technologies and is designed specifically for minimally invasive procedures including laparoscopy and robotic surgeries. It can also be employed during open procedures in general and digestive surgery, urology, gynecology, thoracic and cardiac surgeries.
(L to R) Engagement Team members Bernardo Perez-Villa, Nicole Byram, and Kate Wisniewski.
While the Abdominal Innovators took home the catalyst award to begin conceptualizing their invention, five of the 14 solutions will be supported by CCI for continued refinement and development on the road to commercialization.
For caregivers who would like to become an inventor, the Engagement Team at CCI is excited to announce the launch of the DEDICARE program. Standing for Designing Disruptive Innovations in HealthCARE, DEDICARE is a 16-week collaborative program that demystifies the process of inventing and equips caregivers with the knowledge and expertise to invent.
To learn more and apply, please visit the Inventor Portal.
Congratulations to the Structured Innovations Challenge Finalists
Team 9: FEED – Fueling Excellence in Enteral Delivery
Innovations Mentors: Nicole Byram and Kate Wisniewski
Team 12: The Abdominal Innovators (Winners)
Innovations Mentor: Stephen Dombrowski, PhD
Team 13: Sac it to ‘em
Innovations Mentor: Morgan Carter, PhD
Special Thanks to Pitch Competition Judges (shown from L to R)
