Arrow Electronics Supports National Collegiate Inventors Competition
DENVER, November 4, 2020 /3BL Media/ – An undergraduate team from Tulane University captured the Arrow Electronics People Choice Award at the 2020 Collegiate Inventors Competition for developing a new device to safely clean ventilator tubes.
The team won $2,000 for its TrachTech invention, which is specifically designed to efficiently remove biofilms and debris from the tubes and maintain continued airflow from ventilators during the cleaning process. With ventilators in high demand due to the ongoing pandemic, keeping these machines clean and safe is essential.
“TrachTech applies technology to solve a pressing, real-world problem. It’s the perfect example of the kind of innovation that Arrow encourages and supports,” said Joe Verrengia, corporate social responsibility director for Arrow, which serves as lead sponsor for the competition.
The TrachTech team was one of ten finalists representing nine colleges and universities from across the United States vying for a prize in the annual competition, which highlights American innovation and emerging technological trends from the nation's brightest young innovators. The finalists – consisting of five undergraduate and five graduate teams - presented their inventions in a virtual format to an esteemed panel of final-round judges composed of National Inventors Hall of Fame® (NIHF) Inductees and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officials.
First place winners received $10,000 prizes, while runners-up were awarded $5,000. A team from Rice University won first place in the undergraduate category for a cervical cancer-fighting treatment that makes a complex radiation therapy for late-stage cases more accessible in low-income countries. The first-place graduate winner – a team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology – created a unique bioadhesive to bind wet tissues together after surgery and potentially replace the staples or sutures used to close surgical sites and provide healthier healing.
"Global crises and challenges don't stop innovation — they accelerate it," said NIHF CEO Michael Oister. "We are proud to recognize these young inventors who demonstrate the Innovation Mindset that empowers them to think big and solve the world's greatest problems."
Established in 1990, the Collegiate Inventors Competition is a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and is sponsored by the USPTO and Arrow. In addition to cash awards, the winning teams also receive an opportunity to meet with a NIHF inductee for mentorship and advice. Since its inception, the competition has awarded more than $1 million to winning students for their innovative work and scientific achievement.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics (NYSE:ARW) guides innovation forward for over 175,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2019 sales of $29 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at FiveYearsOut.com.
About the Collegiate Inventors Competition
The Collegiate Inventors Competition encourages and drives innovation and entrepreneurship at the collegiate level. A program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, this competition recognizes and rewards the research, innovations and discoveries by college students and their advisers for projects leading to inventions that have the potential of receiving patent protection. Introduced in 1990, the competition has awarded more than $1 million to students for their innovative work and scientific achievement through the help of its sponsors. For more information, visit invent.org/collegiate-inventors.
