Three Tico students from the Master’s Degree in Medical Device Engineering at the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (TEC), created a medical device that prevents bladder pain.
Marcela Aguilar, Carlos Matamoros and Johel Barrios, started from the testimony of a patient with chronic pain in her bladder to create the prototype that through rotating movements, manages to reduce the pain without cutting the fluid of the urine.
“We met a patient who told us about how uncomfortable it was to use a urine collection bag when you have to move and turn to empty, hence our idea of connecting the bag, then it is attached to the device we developed and finally to the catheter to avoid causing him that pain,” Aguilar explained.
Multiple causes
The pain in this area is a consequence of urinary incontinence, urine retention and the consequences of surgeries, cancer and diseases of the kidneys and prostate. It is estimated that between 0.02% and 0.07% of the population will need a retention bag and a urinary catheter at some point.
For this reason, during the needs analysis phase of their initiative, the students visited hospitals and heard testimonies from patients who reported pain when emptying or repositioning the urine collection bag.
At the end of the master’s degree that is taught in the Coyol Free Zone, the students plan to continue the project that lasted a year and a half, developing a way to help patients with kidney diseases, as well as carry out preclinical tests.
Importance of strengthening medical sector research
The master’s degree in Aguilar, Matamoros, and Barrios was tailored for the Life Sciences sector, with the aim of strengthening research, development, and bioengineering in this branch.
Jorge Cubero, coordinator of the master’s degree, commented: “In CR we are good at manufacturing, the academy can get closer to the industry and be in the focus of all these large and leading global manufacturing companies.”
Those who study this specialty, obtain knowledge to detect needs in patients, design, manufacture in 3D, develop medical devices, among others.
