Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) 2018/2019

Five MSE undergraduate students took home the Champion Prize (Undergraduate Category) in the AY2018/2019 Ian Ferguson Innovation Challenge (IFIC) for their proposed innovative new product. The team of  Jain Palash Abhineet, Low Ker Yang, Matthew Jun-Hui Reavley, Tan Zhen Yuan and Teo Ren Jie developed HyLite – a lightweight, low power electronic sensor to monitor dehydration through sweat. The sensor takes the form-factor of a watch, utilising electrode-less deposition of copper to integrate the circuit board with the actual watch itself, a simple display utilising electroluminescent paint for minimal weight and reduced power consumption while retaining maximum flexibility to achieve user comfort. It is intended to be a low-cost system with long battery life which is not invasive and simple to use by individuals at risk of heat injury.

Jerome Lim won the IFIC Champion Prize for the Postgraduate Category. His project on Responsive NasoGastric (NG) Tubes for Confident Intubation involves the use of a newly designed feeding tube in conjunction with a device adaptor. These feeding tubes have two copper wires embedded within the walls of the tube. When used with the device adaptor, it will give out a false or positive response of the tube-tip location. This invention can replace the current method of confirming tube-tip location using radiography, i.e. x-ray, which is inconvenient and may not be readily available (e.g. home-care nursing), considering the frequency at which feeding has to be carried out.