NERVEIVA
Targeted Vibrotactile Stimulation for Arthritis and Jaw Disorders
Vibrotactile stimulation has been demonstrated to reduce levels of inflammatory proteins in the bloodstream for treating rheumatoid arthritis and reduces pain for those afflicted with jaw disorders. Despite a growing body of evidence, there are currently no vibrotactile devices on the market to remedy these conditions. Nerveiva holistically combines these two functionalities into a single affordable and user friendly device.
HELP US PARTICIPATE IN THE CONRAD CHALLENGE
Your contribution would be used to help pay the various costs and submission fees associated with the Conrad Challenge. While this idea may come to fruition in the future, all information is tentative and is subject to change. If you decide to contribute we thank you sincerely for your financial assistance.
When donating please select Team #1 and write N/A under the student name section.
DONATE HERE:
https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/IHS-Neuroscience-Club-/Se73mX4
THE CONRAD CHALLENGE
This concept was developed by a team of students enrolled at Ingraham High School in Seattle Washington as part of their participation in the Conrad Challenge. The Conrad Challenge is an international competition in which students engineer novel solutions to pressing global issues. Participation in the Conrad Challenges helps students obtain expert feedback on their ideas, support in obtaining seed funding, and patent assistance.
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OUR TEAM
The Nerveiva team includes Nikhil Modayur, founder and CEO, Kally Chamberlain, CFO, Oliver Kim, project manager, Dara Jimenez, marketing lead, and Paige Olson, business development lead. The group came together as a result of our shared passion for neuroscience and the vast clinical potential for nerve stimulation. We encompass a broad range of interests and talents from engineering to medical knowledge and so Nerveiva has been shaped by a variety of perspectives. The vagus nerve is at the center of a great deal of scientific interest and after reading numerous studies demonstrating its benefits we knew that nerve stimulation was the ideal niche for our business. In order to create a novel and innovative product we knew that we would have to utilize a non-electrical method of stimulation and that we would have to address a condition other stimulation devices were not already targeting. Vibrotactile therapy quickly emerged as the answer, and a number of promising studies led us to create Nerveiva for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and temporomandibular disorders.
THE ISSUE
In the United States 23% of all adults, more than 54 million people, have been diagnosed with arthritis. It is one of the leading causes of work disability with annual costs for medical care and lost earnings exceeding $300 billion and 1.3 million Americans currently suffering from rheumatoid arthritis specifically. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, the most common jaw disorder in the United States, affects 3 million people nationwide. Our device targets TNF (a protein which causes inflammation) levels in the bloodstream via stimulation of a branch of the vagus nerve in order to suppress the inflammatory response that leads to rheumatoid arthritis. While anti-TNF pharmalogics exist, they can be extraordinarily costly (more than 25,000 dollars annually). For temporomandibular joint dysfunction, physical therapy and oral appliances are common treatment methods but once more Nerveiva offers a significantly easier treatment at minimal cost or maintenance.
The versatile eccentric rotating mass motor and interchangeable tips allow Nerveiva to target multiple specific external targets, each with different frequencies. Other components including a lithium ion battery and associated circuitry are all kept as simple and utilitarian as possible to ensure the resultant device remains affordable.
