Nursing graduate develops medical device with help from engineering students

Mary Tibbe, who earned a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2008, has spent a decade developing an external urinary catheter that could improve care and the quality of life for thousands of patients.

Tibbe had worked with patients who had urinary tract infections and identified issues with the current catheter technology. When she was a critical care clinical nurse specialist , Tibbe and the Corewell Health Innovation team brought the challenge of developing a prototype to Grand Valley's engineering students.

Now known as the Tibbe EUD, the external device will help eliminate catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) in both clinical and long-term care facilities, as well as incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) that can increase the risk for pressure-based skin injuries, sometimes known as bedsores. CAUTIs cause about 13,000 deaths annually.

Partnership with GVSU engineering

Tibbe and the Corewell Health Innovation team utilized their longstanding partnership with GVSU to bring this problem to Shabbir Choudhuri’s advanced product design class in 2014.

“It all began as a midterm exam,” said Choudhuri, professor of product design and manufacturing engineering. “The project was meant to highlight the steps of design and prototype development, while still taking on large problems, done in just seven days. 

"The students proved that the problem was solvable, which is when it moved to Dr. Farris’s class focused on preparing prototypes.”

John Farris, professor of product design and manufacturing engineering, led student teams through multiple iterations of prototypes of the Tibbe EUD over several semesters, identifying the proper materials for both the cup system and skin-safe adhesive, as well as the click-tight system that allows for freedom of movement when not attached to the funnel.

“The students involved in this project demonstrated absolute professionalism around a sensitive subject matter," said Farris. "They used problem-solving and empathy to take on a challenge that could save thousands of lives.” 

Patent application for student inventors

In 2017, a patent application was filed on the product design and several GVSU engineering students were listed as inventors. They are eligible for a share of potential intellectual property licensing revenues. 

Linda Chamberlain, director of GVSU's Technology Commercialization Office, manages the university’s intellectual property portfolio, as well as subsequent licenses, such as with SBE Medical.   

“Much of our success in the development of intellectual property comes down to several engineering faculty at our university, like Dr. Farris, who work real-world projects into their curriculum, fostering relationships with the business community to create novel solutions that benefit the public,” said Chamberlain.

While the Tibbe EUD is currently designed for female genitalia, Tibbe and SBE Medical have ideas for new solutions for other patients — male, pediatric and neonatal — who suffer from CAUTIs or even just general incontinence. 

“This is something that could even benefit people on a long car ride or out hunting or fishing, not just those within the clinical setting, by providing a more humanizing and flexible approach to something that many people struggle with,” said Tibbe.

– Thomas Garrett graduated from Grand Valley in 2024 with a bachelor's degree in writing.