The MAVIS Artificial Heart team, comprising six students from the "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași, has been awarded the 10,000 lei prize for "Performance in Research and Innovation" offered by the Dan Voiculescucu Foundation for the Development of Romania at the Students 2024 Gala. Their project, a completely wireless artificial heart that is controlled through a mobile app, was identified as one of the most promising student innovations. The award provides a valuable opportunity for further development of the device, and the team has already formulated a clear plan for the utilisation of the funds.
"We have already discussed and we are reinvesting the money into the project further. We will invest in components and materials and we will make a test bench, a test system," explained Vlad Onceanu, MAVIS team member.
In addition to evaluating the technology, the team seeks to optimise the dimensions and functionality of the prototype, with the objective of ensuring that the device is accessible and tailored to the needs of patients, particularly children and women. In the future, the team plans to collaborate with research centres and medical specialists to progress towards clinical testing and obtain the necessary certifications for commercial use.
"The heart that we are developing is probably the smallest artificial heart currently produced in the world, being a completely wireless innovation. Usually research is not so much highlighted so this award is a great motivation to keep going," added team member Georgiana Pintilii.
The Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania consistently provides support for research and innovation, and the award to the MAVIS team represents merely the initial stage of this endeavour. The Foundation is dedicated to providing ongoing support for the project team as they work towards completion and development. This pioneering initiative has the potential to transform a crucial aspect of medicine and offer new avenues for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the MAVIS team members are engaged in the "100 Youngsters for Romania's Development" campaign, a national initiative spearheaded by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania.
The Students Gala 2024, organised by the Romanian Students' Union and supported by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania as an educational partner, brought together the most valuable students in the country, celebrated for their academic performance, creativity and effort. In addition to the award for "Performance in Research and Innovation", the Foundation also offered the prize for "Academic Excellence", valued at 5,000 lei. This was awarded to Adrian Jipa, a student at the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, in recognition of his academic achievements and contribution as an inspirational role model for his peers.
