Grade 9 student wins gold for wearable that detects IV leaks early

Grade 9 student, Akshat Anand, wins gold for wearable that detects IV leaks earlyPhoto credit: Surrey Schools At just 13 or 14 years old, most Grade 9 students are still getting comfortable with science fair pressure. Akshath Anand of Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning did something far bigger: he walked into the Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton with a medical technology project, impressed the judges, and walked away with a gold medal.His invention, Veino – IV Safety Monitoring System, is designed to spot IV leaks before they become visible, painful or damaging. Using smart pressure sensors, the wearable device detects changes in intravenous drips and alerts nurses early, giving healthcare workers a chance to act before a patient develops swelling or bruising. For a first-time national competitor, that is an extraordinary result.Akshath’s success is also a reminder that some of the most practical ideas come from young people who notice everyday problems and ask a simple but powerful question: why isn’t there a better way to fix this?A device built for patient safetyIntravenous therapy is routine in hospitals, but it is not always risk-free. When an IV line leaks or shifts ou...