SUPERIOR-Students from the Universities of Wisconsin were recognized for their innovations at the 2024 WiSys SPARK Symposium, which was held at UW-Superior from July 24-26.

The WiSys SPARK Symposium is held annually at various schools across the Universities of Wisconsin to highlight exceptional research and promote innovation throughout the state. This summer the event was hosted at UW-Superior and drew interest from 160 students and faculty, as well as leaders in industry and Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.

The Innovation Showcase gave students the opportunity to present their inventions to SPARK attendees and a panel of faculty, staff, and industry judges.

First place:

Jacob Keller from UW-Platteville earned first place and $750 for his innovation, titled “Knee Immobilizer Addon.” Keller’s faculty advisor is Dr. Jodi Prosise, Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering.

Project abstract: “This project's purpose is to innovate and improve the knee immobilizer design used for post-operation rehabilitation. The current design for knee immobilizers is outdated, cumbersome, and uncomfortable. Current and past patient and practitioner concerns outline primary issues regarding the functional use of the knee immobilizer. The most common, persisting issues include the following: 1. Ability to maintain proper positioning of the immobilizer 2. Feasibility of adjusting the straps 3. Comfort of the immobilizer and straps 4. Ensuring the joint button is in a locked position. From these issues, customer requirements were generated to address the following issues: reducing slipping, improving comfort, increasing proper positioning, maintaining and improving ease of use, and ensuring medical efficacy. The resulting prototype utilized grippy paddy, ratchet straps, and a calf strap to mitigate issues. The results for all items were overwhelmingly positive; this indicates a strong approval for the prototype and a consensus of it being valuable to the rehabilitation process. Upon testing, results were overwhelmingly positive, indicating strong approval for the prototype.”

Second place:

UW-Whitewater’s Foster Boom earned second place and $500 for his innovation, titled “Enhanced Bioactivity of Titanium Implants through Silicide-Bioglass Coatings.” Boom’s faculty advisor is Dr. Steven Girard, Associate Professor of Chemistry.

Project description: “In recent years, the field of biomedical engineering has seen significant advancements in the development of biomaterials for implantable devices and tissue engineering applications. Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have gained widespread popularity due to their excellent mechanical properties, but they have low bioactivity (fusion with bone tissue). In this study, we propose a novel approach to enhance the bioactivity of Ti implants and integration of titanium within the human body by coating the titanium surface with bioactive glass, mediated by a titanium silicide layer. The experimental methodology involves depositing a silicide coating on titanium substrates using a combination of reactions with eutectic salts, a reducing agent, and heat. Then, bioactive glass is grown onto the metals using a general sol-gel method. Analysis is accomplished using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) to assess the morphology, phase composition, and surface properties. We show that the interfacial silicide coating on titanium significantly enhances adhesion of bioactive glass, thus improving the biocompatibility of titanium, whereas bioactive glass has little affinity and cannot be grown onto bare titanium. The results of this study have the potential to contribute to the development of improved biomaterials for orthopedic and dental applications, where a strong and stable bond between the implant and surrounding tissue is crucial for long-term reliability.”

For the full recap of the WiSys SPARK Symposium, click here.