Student creates app to improve post-stroke care inspired by his uncle

Manjima Sarkar's uncle but, for a long time, did not seek medical advise. Her uncle eventually went to the hospital, and was diagnosed with a severe stroke. But due to the fact the patient waited for so long to go to the doctors, he suffered permanent memory loss and impaired speech. So his niece wanted to create a way to help patients get help right way, and preventing situations as Ardhendu’s.

The app works by helping in the event an at-risk patient experiences stroke symptoms — such as severe headaches or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble walking — they could immediately call into an INTRAM-run telestroke network. Depending on the severity, a physician would encourage the patient to call an ambulance or head to an in-network treatment facility. INTRAM’S search algorithm would direct the patient to the nearest medical office with the shortest wait times.

“Patients using this app would get to the hospital within a shorter time window, allowing them to receive medication that is both cheaper and more effective,” explained the INTRAM team member Choudhury, a sophomore biomedical engineering student. “This would improve their survival rates and significantly cut down on recovery time because their strokes wouldn’t be allowed to progress to the point of debilitating neurological impairment.”

Team members, through a $2,500 grant from the National Science Foundation, canvassed potential customers to learn their problems and how they might address them. The NSF awarded the money to USC through an Innovation Corps “I-Corps” site grant.

The National Academy of Engineering recently selected the USC team as one of the United States' representatives to the 2017 International Student Day Business Model Competition.

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2u4Gh8u