BME team competes for college inventors prize

A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison biomedical engineers is one of 10 finalists in the 2024 Collegiate Inventors Competition hosted by the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Current senior Lauren Fitzsimmons and recent graduates Molly Paras (BSBME ’24) and Zach Spears (BSBME ’24) are showcasing the “Nerve Ninja,” a surgical tool that includes a forceps and scalpel to improve efficiency and reduce nerve injuries during surgeries. The device grew out of a BME design project and led to the formation of a company, Badger Surgical Solutions.

To vote for the team’s invention, visit the competition website (voting is open through 4 p.m. CT on Oct. 16). The winners will receive $2,000 and patent acceleration from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All finalists receive all-expenses-paid trips to Washington, D.C., for an event Oct. 16-17.

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