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Pediatric kidney transplant surgical instrument development

Making an adjustable vascular clamp for use in pediatric kidney transplants when the patient is a minor but the kidney itself is adult.

Project Overview

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a condition affecting more than 808,000 people in the United States. Approximately 5645 of these people are under the age of 18. Renal transplantation is considered the best and most cost-effective treatment for ESRD. A major challenge that arises while performing kidney transplants in children is the lack of appropriate surgical tools and instruments. Current surgical instruments are designed with adult bodies in mind. These instruments are often too large to be used on children’s smaller bodies, among other issues. Our clients, Dr. Kelly Collins and Dr. Jennifer Phillips, often face this issue while performing surgery and have requested the design of a vascular clamp that could be used during kidney transplant surgeries in pediatric patients. The device will be scaled down to allow for the lesser wound depth corresponding to the body of a pediatric patient. It will also have lower clamping strength than current vascular clamps to prevent damage to the blood vessels being clamped because children have smaller blood vessels and lower blood pressure than adults.

Team Picture

Madison Poza, Ishita Bhardwaj, Brannick Larson, Lily Walden, Mariamawit Tefera, Noa Biener
Madison Poza, Ishita Bhardwaj, Brannick Larson, Lily Walden, Mariamawit Tefera, Noa Biener

File

  • PDS (September 17, 2026)

Progress Reports

Contact Information

Team Members

Advisor and Client

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