Centre for Design, Innovation & Engineering - Innovate, Convene, Create

 

The Medical Device Innovation Summer program at Kenyatta University was created to provide an immersive experience in medical device development, from problem identification to prototyping. The program aimed to encourage students to think creatively and develop solutions for pressing healthcare challenges, as identified through industry visits and clinical immersions.

The inaugural cohort of sixteen was selected from across Kenya and Uganda and were hosted at IvE’s Centre for Design, Innovation, and Engineering by the manager Stacy Awinja and the assistant manager Eubrea Mitchy Njer. For three weeks starting 3rd June 2025, they embarked on the rigorous program at Kenyatta University. Participants chosen for the program included clinicians and engineers who stood out for their creativity, technical prowess, passion for creating impact and solving healthcare challenges in the society.



The programming as well as selection criteria for the Summer program mirror that of the Master in Biomedical Engineering (Medical Device Innovation) being developed by IvE-KU in collaboration with Rice University. It gave us the platform to engage the innovator community and generate interest in participating in future iterations of IvE programs.

Additionally, the summer program provided an opportunity for us to leverage on our existing partnerships and learnings from interactions with other institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Boston College. We were also joined by Rice University faculty Casey Howard and Dr. Kiara Lee (PhD)for some of the sessions.

Clinical Insights Meets Engineering Execution.

In week 1, sessions covered included the Kenyan Healthcare System, Brainstorming Techniques, Safety, 3D printing, Woodwork, Metalwork, Embedded Systems.



 

The second week involved clinical immersions for needs finding at Thika Level 5 Hospital, Kiambu Level 5 Hospital and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital. Industry visits were also conducted at Villgro Africa, MOKO and the informal manufacturing sector. These visits helped the innovators open their eyes to real-life healthcare problems as well as to look at the different ways to approach innovation and manufacturing. The innovators identified unmet needs to understanding user workflows, hence developing empathy that drives meaningful innovation

 



 

Week 3 was for the innovators to incorporate all their learnings and develop prototypes addressing needs they had identified.



 

They worked on refining prototypes, testing functions, and preparing for their final presentations, embedding the clinical insights into engineering execution. The top ideas were awarded for their innovation and creativity. The winners of the Design Challenge were:

1st Place- Alex Gathua and Alphonce Oyugi: Electronic Partograph

2nd Place- Angela Chacha and Amos Olal: Early Breast Cancer Screening

3rd Place- Ebby Lari and Dennis Munene: Postpartum Hemorrhage Detection

 



Design Challenge winners

In conclusion, the Summer Program was a resounding success. There was immense knowledge transfer to the innovators who attested to how the program changed their approach to innovation and fueled them to continue to build and create for the African healthcare ecosystem. A huge thank you to all who participated in making it a success!

The future of biomedical engineering is brighter than ever! At this year’s IVE Poster Presentation, students showcased cutting-edge innovations designed to transform healthcare. From wearable respiratory monitoring to IoT-powered inventory tracking and vascular imaging, the competition was inspiring!

🥉 2nd Runner-up - Ashtone Onyango – PneuMonitor: Multi-Modal Wearable Respiratory Monitoring System for Early Detection of Pediatric Pneumonia.

🥈 1st Runner-up - June Lindah Adhiambo – Bio Med Tracker: An IoT-Based Inventory Management & Tracking System.

🥇 Winner - Valery Chebet – Vascular Mapping Device.

Congratulations to these young innovators for pushing the boundaries of healthcare technology! 🚀👏



   

<span class="break-words
tvm-parent-container">We welcome you to express interest in the Medical Device Innovation Master's program here: https://lnkd.in/d9NkNQwk