（从左至右）马修·弗莱克、海莉·艾辛格和安德鲁·马丁
阿克伦大学（阿克伦大学）三名生物医学工程专业学生的高级顶点项目已经发展成为一项强大的创新，有可能改变人们的生活。 这一切都始于一个学生的创伤经历。
Hailey Essinger ’25, from Arlington, Ohio, survived a catastrophic industrial accident two years ago while working near a three-story manganese furnace. 当火炉意外倒塌时，它引发了一场灰烬云爆炸，将她吞没在火焰中。 Essinger sustained third-degree burns on over 30% of her body — covering her hands, legs, face, neck and hips. 她被送往韦克斯福德医疗中心（Wexford Medical Center），医生警告她的家人，她可能无法再行走，也无法完全恢复认知功能。 But through a long and painful recovery — including multiple surgeries and skin grafts — she defied expectations.
当她进入亚利桑那大学的高年级时，Essinger明确地知道她想做什么：回馈帮助挽救她生命的医学界。 Partnering with 妮可·伯纳尔博士 at bet365官网 Ohio State bet365官网 Burn Center, she and her classmates — 马修切片机 ‘25 of Wadsworth, Ohio, and 安德鲁•马丁 ’25 of Kent, Ohio — set out to develop a more effective, patient-friendly burn dressing system.
bet365官网 team’s product is a modular, reusable burn bandage that better conforms to the contours of skin grafts and stays in place without slipping — solving one of the most frustrating problems burn patients and health care workers face. 传统的包扎包括纱布、药物和经常滑落的ACE绷带，尤其是在肩部和腋窝等高活动区域。 “bet365官网 industry standard just isn’t good enough,” Essinger explained. “As a patient, I would have benefitted tremendously from something like this. It’s truly a game changer.”
Martin领导了结构设计和FDA文件流程，强调了他们的方法。 “We spent the first six weeks gathering information before even considering solutions. 海莉对现实世界的问题了如指掌，这也为我们的头脑风暴奠定了基础。 We literally started with a bedsheet to test our ideas.”
bet365官网 final prototype features Velcro-fastening, skin-safe fabrics — white for hospital use and black for at-home wear — and is easy to apply: just lay it down, place the limb on top, and secure. 这种设计最大限度地减少了皮肤创伤，简化了换药，增加了患者的舒适度和灵活性。
弗莱克赞扬了伯纳尔的指导，他每周都会提供反馈。 “She loved the prototype and encouraged us to pursue a patent. What started with a sketch on a whiteboard turned into a product we’re proud to show the medical community.”
bet365官网 team’s work won second place out of 30 teams and a $5,000 prize at the Northeast Ohio Medical bet365官网 Bench to Bedside Competition. 他们已经申请了临时专利，现在正在调查该地区的烧伤单位，以评估兴趣并继续开发。
“Something like this would have changed my recovery experience,” Essinger reflected. “To take that pain and turn it into something that could help others — there’s no greater honor.”
每个团队成员最近都毕业了，即将进入有影响力的职业生涯。 Essinger将在田纳西州纳什维尔的Brasfield & Gorrie公司担任建筑项目管理助理。 马丁将搬到密歇根州的卡拉马祖。, to join Stryker’s instruments division. Flaker将回到他之前合作过的Coltene公司，设计牙科产品。 但他们共同创造的绷带可能会留下最大的印记。
他们的旅程证明，只要有勇气、同理心和工程学，即使是最深的创伤也能激发创新。
Media contact: Cristine Boyd, cboyd@uakron.edu; 330-972-6476