Jay Thiagarajan and his team participated and won the EnMed Aggies Invent 2019 which is hosted by Texas A&M and the College of Engineering. The EnMed program is an integrated educational and research medical program with a focus on invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. In the EdMed Aggies Invent Competition 13 teams of students competed to created solutions to problems facing the medical field.
The challenge was to build an apparatus to enhance the efficiency of drawing blood into different vials in a sterile and safe manner. Jay and his team built a prototype using day-to-day materials as well as 3D printing. With their device, the phlebotomists can hold the needle steady with one hand and manage the vials with the other hand. This drastically reduces the chances of the needle moving which causes pain and injury to the patient. The projects were judged by doctors from the Texas A&M Medical School and doctors of the Houston Medical Center. The team now plans to improve their prototype and then apply for a patent.