Student Achievements
Engineering graduate student wins state design competitions
April 20, 2015
Eric VanMiddendorp, a graduate student in the Engineering program, is completing an industry-sponsored graduate assistantship at Spectrum Health Innovations. As part of his IGA, he has designed an Endotracheal Tube (ETT) holder. The graduate assistantship began with a collaborative Michigan Initiative for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (MIIE) grant between GVSU, Spectrum Health, and GR Current.
As part of his work with Spectrum Health Innovations, Eric designed a device used to prevent damage to medical gas and vacuum outlets, many of which are currently installed at several Spectrum hospitals. Eric also worked as the lead engineer on the development of an endotracheal tube holder (mentioned above) beginning with a problem statement and working through to a functional prototype. Clinicians at Spectrum health were involved with the project from the start and provided feedback throughout the stages of the design, ensuring the resulting device would provide the necessary benefits and outperform the competition.
At the conclusion of the grant, he licensed the technology from Spectrum and GVSU and formed a business, Airway Innovations LLC. He then won the first place student grand prize at the Accelerate Michigan Innovation student Competition (AMIC), as well as the first place grand prize at GreenLight Michigan Business Competition. He was awarded $32,000.