Moderated by Bunny Ellerin, Director Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Management Program at Columbia Business School, attendees will learn how sensors are driving development and innovation through case studies and applications from some of the world's leading experts during this half-day Workshop.

Agenda

10:15AM-10:20AM | Opening Remarks - Bunny Ellerin, Director, Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Management Program, Columbia Business School

10:20AM-11:05AM | Soft Wearable Biosensors for Personalized Medicine - Roozbeh Ghaffari, Senior Director of Research and Innovation, Northwestern Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics
Unusual classes of electronics and electrochemical sensors enabled by recent advances in materials science and mechanics have been designed with physical properties that approach the mechanical properties of human skin. These systems are highly conformal and wearable by virtue of their soft mechanics compared to conventional packaged electronics and sensors. In this talk, I present an overview of recent advances in novel materials, mechanics and designs for emerging classes of fully-integrated epidermal electronics. These devices incorporate microfluidics and microfabricated arrays of sensors configured in ultrathin, stretchable formats for monitoring of hydration and physiology. Quantitative analyses of strain distributions and circuit performances under mechanical stress highlight the utility of these systems in the clinical and home environments. I will conclude with representative examples of these skin-based epidermal devices in clinical studies. 

11:10AM-11:40AM | Biomedical Optical Sensing to Improve Lung Cancer Screening and Minimally Invasive Surgeries - Hari Subramanian, Chief Technology Officer, Nanocytomics
This presentation will focus on two specific applications of biomedical optical sensors: (i) to improve lung cancer screening and (ii) to improve minimally invasive surgeries. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and the survival rate dramatically depends on the stage at which it is diagnosed. We have utilized biomedical optics to develop an office based, low cost, minimally intrusive and accurate screening test for lung cancer among current/past smokers. We have developed a robust operating protocol and a high throughput microscope to process these samples in a clinically acceptable time. Both the instrument and the protocol have been validated using a blinded study design and achieved a specificity and sensitivity of 83% and 81% respectively for early stage (Stage I) lung cancers. Our long- term vision is that the optical sensing of buccal cells may become a frontline risk stratification tool to personalize lung cancer screening that can be performed by a primary care physician (PCP) as part of an annual exam of current or former smokers. The lack of tactile and visual feedback during minimally invasive surgery increases the complexity of already difficult procedures. These problems can lead to inadvertent damage to blood vessels hidden beneath tissue causing serious health risks to patients and a heavy unreimbursable financial burden to hospitals. Existing intraoperative imaging technologies either are too expensive or too cumbersome to be included into existing surgical devices. We have developed a low-cost, contrast agent-free, miniaturized smart dissector, with a biomedical optical sensor that is able to localize, track and quantify a blood vessel wrapped around any given tissue in real time with a high resolution. The system is able to find blood vessels of size 2-8mm with a resolution of 0.5mm and has been successfully validated in both ex vivo tissue specimens and in vivo pig models. 

11:40AM-12:00PM | Networking Break

12:00PM-12:30PM | Entrepreneurs Showcase
Learn about some of the most exciting medical startups in the sensors industry. During the first part of the session, you’ll hear from three entrepreneurs who are integrating sensors into medical applications to improve accuracy, decrease operator error and ultimately improve patient outcomes. 
Yashar Ganjeh, Co-Founder & Vice President, IntuiTap Medical
Jonathan Gunn, CEO, Briteseed

Briteseed
Briteseed is commercializing a new class of smart surgical tools that have artificial-vision assistance to help surgeons quickly identify landmarks and safely navigate vital structures.These multifunctional tools have the benefit of cautery, dissection, and optical tissue sensing in a single package. Formed in 2013, Briteseed has developed its first surgical tool, the Smart Grasper, that integrates blood vessel-detection technology into a mechanical grasper. By utilizing optical spectroscopy in the jaws of the tool, surgeons can identify the presence and diameter of blood vessels. This information is displayed on the video monitors currently used in the operating room, with no interruption in surgeon workflow.

IntuiTap Medical
IntuiTap is the world’s first device designed for spinal punctures that integrates imaging of the spine with needle guidance and analytics to help physicians get where they need to go on the first try.Using its proprietary imaging technology, IntuiTap enhances palpitation and can detect the underlying vertebrae even through multiple layers of soft tissue. A real-time image of the underlying bones is constructed and displayed conveniently on the LCD screen attached to the handheld device. The company’s predictive algorithm projects onto the screen exactly where the needle will end up if inserted at that location, allowing the physician to visualize precisely where they need to insert the needle for optimal success. A digital pressure sensor incorporated into the device provides confirmation that the physician is in the right place, and accurately measures the opening pressure, eliminating the need for a cumbersome and inaccurate manometer. 

12:30PM-1:00PM | Panel Discussion on Innovating and Entrepreneurship
During the second half, the entrepreneurs will come together on a panel to discuss the different stages of the startup process, from research and development to funding to commercialization. With personal experiences spanning across these different stages, the Panel aims to provide great insight into how the sensors industry is transforming with new startups being born every day. 
Yashar Ganjeh, Co-Founder & Vice President, IntuiTap Medical
Jonathan Gunn, CEO, Briteseed

1:00PM-1:45PM | STRIVE Center: Bridging Laboratory Research & Real World Applications - Ryan McKindles, Research Director, STRIVE Center, MIT Lincoln Laboratory
The MIT Lincoln Laboratory Sensorimotor Technology Realization in Immersive Virtual Environments (STRIVE) Center. An approximately 4,000 ft2 facility, the STRIVE Center features a High-end Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment (CAREN) system, one of three in the world. The CAREN enables the assessment of a person’s cognitive and physiological performance as they interact with a fully immersive virtual environment. This world-class center provides a nexus for the clinical, academic, and government communities to collaborate on next generation clinical, operational, technology development, and advanced training research.