Grads Win $15K Venture Prize for Breakthrough Knee Therapy Device
Created as a biomedical engineering Senior Design project, the team’s physical therapy device is already gaining industry recognition on its way to commercialization
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and innovation hub VentureWell recently awarded four Stevens Institute of Technology Biomedical Engineering graduates the $15,000 Venture Prize in the 2024 Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge.
Stevens 2024 Biomedical Engineering graduates Brandon Sems, Margaret Gibson, Jalen Bailey and Grace Fukazawa earned this distinguished honor for their breakthrough knee therapy device, Knee-sy Does It. Originally the focus of their Senior Design project, the simple yet powerful tool is intended to help patients recover from knee injuries and surgeries more quickly, improving both in-office and at-home physical therapy.
"Patients attending physical therapy only once or twice a week often don’t get enough treatment to see permanent improvements," said Sems. "Knee-sy Does It lets patients access therapy as often as they need it, without the hassle of traveling to a clinic."
Designing a breakthrough knee therapy device is a joint effort
The inspiration came from Sems’ acquaintance, Joe Caucino, a physical therapist at Atlantic PT Centers in Lakewood, New Jersey, who successfully used a 25-pound weight to speed his own recovery after knee surgery. Each year, more than 3.5 million Americans seek physical therapy for knee-related pain and mobility issues from osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy, surgery and other concerns, but most would not be able to safely and reliably self-administer the targeted stretching routine Caucino had devised for himself.
Challenging themselves to replicate and even improve on this therapeutic regimen, the students developed Knee-sy Does It. The portable, convenient, at-home device automates knee stretches to address a condition known as knee flexion contracture, which limits mobility and slows recovery. Heat eases the movement, and sensors monitor the therapy, personalizing safe, effective treatment based on progress.
The team tackled many challenges along the way. The original plan was for a wall-mounted device, but the need for portability led to its standalone design. While testing an early prototype, Caucino and other physical therapists also flagged the risk of falling from a seated position. The team quickly pivoted to having the patient more securely recline on a couch or bed during use.
With an integrated mobile app that tracks therapy sessions and progress and even offers engaging games, the patient can stay motivated to adhere to the therapy schedule, and healthcare providers can stay apprised of the patient’s progress. Aggregate data from users further informs and optimizes treatment plans.
“In our AI-driven world, data is the new oil,” Gibson said. “With its built-in data-driven approach, Knee-sy Does It can help drive the advancement of technology in all sectors, especially those as complex as biomechanics and biology.”
The device also eases the workload on overburdened physical therapists, who often manage multiple patients at once.
Knee-sy Does It is on the move
Earlier this year, the members of the Knee-sy Does It team won $10,000 in the Stevens Ansary Entrepreneurship Competition for the quality of their elevator pitch.
Deeply invested in the potential of Knee-sy Does It, Sems and Gibson decided their first job after graduation would be to become entrepreneurs and pursue bringing their creation to market.
“Winning the Venture Prize validated that our business idea made sense,” Gibson said. “It also showed that other industry professionals also believe there is a market need for this device — not only as a business, but also as a way of advancing healthcare.”
With their Venture Prize winnings, Sems and Gibson are conducting research and development to move from prototype to a finished product, investigating manufacturing options, making plans to conduct clinical trials and seeking FDA approval as a Class I medical device, and funding a website and other behind-the-scenes services.
Their vision is to be able to lease the revolutionary device for flexible use in clinics and in homes, saving time and money on high-quality knee rehabilitation therapy.
“We’re not just redefining therapy,” Sems said. “We’re also making recovery more convenient, affordable and even enjoyable.”
The team was recently honored at the 2024 BMES Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland, on Oct. 25, 2024.
Jennifer Kang-Mieler, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Stevens, served as an unofficial advisor and encouraged the team to enter the DEBUT Challenge where she has served as a judge for many years.
"I’m so proud of what they’ve accomplished," Kang-Mieler said. "Their product will help patients heal faster, and it’s exciting to see our biomedical engineering students solving real-world healthcare problems."