Students named finalists in national device design competition
Asher Shertok, Katriana Trinh, and Jason Jensen
Students Asher Shertok, Katriana Trinh, and Jason Jensen developed a patent-pending tool to guide surgeon decision-making in cases of mesenteric ischemia, a life-threatening condition caused by insufficient blood flow to the intestines.

May 14, 2026 — A team that includes University of Minnesota biomedical engineering students has been recognized as finalists in the Johns Hopkins Healthcare Design Competition. The team was one of only eight finalists selected from a pool of over 560 applicants.

The team—comprising College of Science and Engineering (CSE) students Asher Shertok, Katriana Trinh, and Jason Jensen—developed a portable diagnostic tool for a deadly condition called mesenteric ischemia. The group is mentored by Steve Saliterman, a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Addressing a critical gap in emergency surgery

Mesenteric ischemia is a life-threatening condition caused by insufficient blood flow to the intestines, requiring immediate surgical intervention. It affects 2–3 out of 100,000 patients annually and carries a staggering mortality rate of 50–80%, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Currently, surgeons lack a reliable, real-time, and objective tool to guide intraoperative decisions regarding bowel viability. The prevailing method involves the use of indocyanine green (ICG) dye; however, research indicates that ICG-guided surgery aids only 34.6% of patients in emergency scenarios.

The innovation: A tool to guide surgeon decision-making

BowelProbe rendering
A rendering of BowelProbe, a portable diagnostic tool that aims to help surgeons more accurately quantify bowel viability.

The real-time, intra-operative tool, called BowelProbe, is designed for quick and reliable decision-making. The patent-pending device aims to increase the accuracy of quantifying bowel viability through the characterization of electrical impedance and its relation to metabolic activity.

Key attributes of the device include:

  • Intuitive logic: Can be adapted for measuring the viability of other tissues.
  • Modular design: Allows for versatile application.
  • Surgical integration: Designed as a seamless extension into emerging robotics assisted surgery modes.

From directed research project to national stage

The project originated during the 2024–25 academic year with Asher Shertok, Katriana Trinh, and two other biomedical engineering students. At the end of the academic year, the team realized the potential to develop the project into an actual product.

They secured financial support from the student group MEDIC, where they connected with fellow CSE student Jason Jensen and began entering design and pitch competitions. The Johns Hopkins competition is the first the team applied for, resulting in their selection as national finalists.

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