Competing against 26 finalists, University of Rhode Island electrical engineering doctoral student Abdullah Rumon won the Best Innovation Pitch competition at the 2022 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Sensors Conference.

Rumon’s pitch was for NeoTex, an advanced monitoring system for premature babies.

Premature babies go through major medical challenges, such as difficulty breathing on their own. Approximately 34,000 babies have this problem each year in the United States, requiring a dedicated nursing system to monitor vital signals.

“The equipment used to monitor premature babies has sticky, long wires, which cause problems, such as skin bleeding, tearing and infections,” said Rumon. “The wires also limit the baby’s natural movement, create barriers for nurses to treat them, and prevent parents from holding the baby close to them.”

NeoTex is still in the sensor development and validation stage, but Rumon is excited about the device’s potential.

“The system will make the baby untethered and allow nurses to work more efficiently,” said Rumon. “Most importantly, mom can give kangaroo care. The idea is to have no wires and more cuddles.”