Woodinville High School Students Seek to Earn Patent

Woodinville High School seniors Carter Smith, Patrick Wytko and Chloe Brid recently began the process to secure a patent for the project they created last year in Biotech. The project involved using a nanorobot to break apart blood clots and release a safe, hypoallergenic compound to keep a clot from reforming, which is a big issue with clots in the brain. Carter, Patrick and Chloe  were among several students from Biotech teacher Jamie Olsen’s class to present at last year’s Northwest Association for Biomedical Research (NWABR) Bio Expo. Their project placed first. 

“We got the idea because strokes are a major issue in the world causing about 140,000 American deaths per year or one death out of every 20, according to the CDC,” said Wytko. “Due to the fast-paced nature of the problem and the fact it can kill so rapidly, we decided to create a device that can theoretically make the surgery faster and more efficient causing fewer deaths per year.” 

Following the expo, the students connected with medical professionals from the Pacific Northwest to gain more knowledge, including Dr. Brian Ragel, a well-respected doctor from Portland. Through the students’ conversation with him, they were able to determine the best medical procedure and the most efficient way to get their nanobot to the brain. He also helped the students with specifics about the device, including the size, shape and material.

The students continue to remain focused on the idea and are diligently working on securing a patent.