READING, Pa. – Learn2Inject, an idea started by three Alvernia University mechanical engineering students, has become an award-winning healthcare innovation.
The project, started in the classroom, has now secured both a provisional patent and first place in the collegiate division of the 24th Annual tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition in Northeast Pennsylvania, according to a news release from Alvernia University.
The students won $10,000 and an additional $100,000 in in-kind services to continue to grow their business.
Team members Jack Badalamenti, Philip Crock, and Steve Tello Alegria launched Learn2Inject to develop the first reusable safety needle designed specifically for nursing education.
They created the product in collaboration with Alvernia nursing faculty, engineering faculty, and the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development & Entrepreneurship,.
The technology allows nursing students to practice the complete injection process using the same training needle, which reduces costs and plastic waste while still providing an educational experience to improve clinical skills, according to the university.
“This student achievement demonstrates exactly what makes Alvernia’s experiential learning opportunities unique,” said Alvernia University Chief Economic, Community and Strategic Development Officer Rodney S. Ridley Sr., Ph.D., RTTP.
“Jack, Philip, and Steve identified a real problem, collaborated across disciplines to develop an innovative solution, and with the support of the O’Pake Institute, transformed that innovation into a viable business. Seeing our students create technology with the potential to improve healthcare education while earning regional recognition is incredibly rewarding,” added Ridley Sr.
Unlike traditional disposable safety needles that permanently lock after a single use, this product features a resettable locking mechanism that enables students to safely practice the complete injection sequence more than 100 times using one device, the university says.
The tool will reduce training costs by an estimated 96 percent and plastic waste by 99 percent, stated the University.
The students estimate the technology could serve more than 700,000 nursing students enrolled in approximately 3,500 nursing programs across the United States.
While Alvernia students have reached the finals of the tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition for three consecutive years, Learn2Inject is the university’s first collegiate division champion.
“I learned a lot about myself and the potential of our invention. While helping me prepare for tecBRIDGE, the O’Pake Institute taught me valuable lessons in terms of networking, public speaking, and finance. Leading up to finals, the finance team helped me establish a strong financial model for my innovation, and the team helped me build my confidence,” said Badalamenti.
To compete in the tecBRIDGE Business Plan Competition, the students developed a comprehensive commercialization strategy that included an executive business plan, competitive market analysis, financial projections, and an investor pitch.
Their presentation earned the top honor among collegiate teams from across northeastern Pennsylvania, according to a news release from Alvernia University.