/engineering/ en /engineering/hip-to-be-an-innovator <span>Hip to be an innovator</span> <span><span>Hanna Nordwall</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-05-21T10:45:40-06:00" title="Thursday, May 21, 2026 - 10:45">Thu, 05/21/2026 - 10:45</time> </span> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2251"> Innovation </a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/60"> Research </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2264" hreflang="en">Bioscience</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2258" hreflang="en">Health</a> </div> <a href="/engineering/alexander-servantez">Alexander Servantez</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> <div><p class="lead"><strong>Engineer and doctor take medical device from �鶹��Ѱ�����accelerator to commercialization&nbsp;</strong></p> <div class="align-left image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/engineering/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-05/combined-hip-photos-1.jpg?itok=FR7U_Hz1" width="375" height="654" alt="Slotted Cannula Jacob Segil combined photos"> </div> </div> <p><span>J</span>acob Segil and Dr. Omer Mei-Dan were enjoying a celebratory dinner in 2018 when the idea for their newest commercialization success struck.</p><p>“We were celebrating the sale of our first company at a restaurant. Mei- Dan grabbed a napkin and just started sketching an idea for a new project,” said Segil, a research professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. “He said he wanted it this way, with these features, and we just got to work on it right away.”</p><p>Segil and Mei-Dan, a surgeon and professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, are the architects behind a redesigned surgical instrument called the CAP-LIFT cannula.</p> <div class="align-right image_style-small_500px_25_display_size_"> <div class="imageMediaStyle small_500px_25_display_size_"> <img loading="lazy" src="/engineering/sites/default/files/styles/small_500px_25_display_size_/public/2026-05/hip-combined2.jpg?itok=P3qesGKx" width="375" height="620" alt="Closeup image of hip, closeup of cannula"> </div> </div> <p>The device has completely transformed arthroscopic procedures in the hip region, making them safer and more efficient. In fact, Mei-Dan said the next-generation cannula has been a catalyst for hundreds of successful hip arthroscopy surgeries nationwide since its launch in August 2025.</p><p>But like many engineering projects, achieving real-world impact doesn’t just happen overnight.</p><p>“It began as a self-funded project on campus, where we were building prototypes and trying to envision how it could be used in surgery,” Segil said, pulling out a clear bag filled with different iterations of the CAP-LIFT cannula. “Each one of us would bring different perspectives to the table so that together we could make the best product possible.”</p><p>When the two finally came up with the right design, they submitted the technology and won �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) in 2020. Segil said the annual innovation competition, which supports top projects throughout the �鶹��Ѱ�����system with large grants to help translate research into successful business ventures, was a crucial early milestone in their endeavor.</p><p>From there, Segil and Mei-Dan used the LVC award to help push the device into human trials. By working alongside the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board, the two were able to produce units that could be used directly by Mei-Dan in the operating room, improving surgical safety and efficacy right away while beginning to collect real-life data.</p><p>“We were testing the different iterations of this product for the past five years in my practice,” Mei-Dan said. “The clinical yield was so significant I no longer wanted to perform a procedure without it. I’ve probably used it in over 1,000 total cases.”</p><div class="ucb-box ucb-box-title-hidden ucb-box-alignment-right ucb-box-style-fill ucb-box-theme-lightgray"><div class="ucb-box-inner"><div class="ucb-box-title">More success stories</div><div class="ucb-box-content"><h2>More success stories</h2><p>Check out some of the other �鶹��Ѱ�����Engineering startups that have gone on to commercialization success:</p><p><strong>Forge Nano: </strong>Advanced materials company based on atomic layer deposition nanocoating technology</p><p><strong>LiteWave Technologies/Arcfield: </strong>Commercializing a new type of LiDAR that can “see” objects in shallow water from above the water’s surface</p><p><strong>Think Bioscience: </strong>Developing small-molecule drugs for historically challenging targets by using synthetic biology to uncover novel mechanisms of biomolecular engagement</p><p><strong>Infleqtion: </strong>Valued at $1.8 billion, this quantum atomic company developing quantum computing, sensing and signal processing hardware is now the 10th “unicorn” to spin out of �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder</p><p><strong>Manifest Technologies: </strong>Bringing to market a fundamentally different approach to additive manufacturing that utilizes a proprietary light engine and sophisticated algorithms to cure photoreactive resin simultaneously across three dimensions</p></div></div></div><p>According to Segil, the data was strong and the device was functioning so well that it caught the attention of multiple medical device manufacturers as a potential game-changing acquisition for their portfolio.</p><p>After weighing the options, the two decided Smith &amp; Nephew, a global medical technology company with a strong presence in sports medicine, was the perfect match.</p><p>“They had a great understanding of our product,” said Segil. “They were able to take our designs, get them ready for commercialization and steer the marketing and sales side of things in a way that made us confident.”</p><p>Segil and Mei-Dan stayed involved throughout the manufacturing process, playing critical roles in product design, engineering support and even product demonstrations.</p><p>But seeing their invention reach commercial success was merely a bonus. For Mei-Dan, the real highlight was the impact they had on both surgeons and patients alike.</p><p>“We developed this product because we felt there was a major need within the field,” Mei-Dan said. “We weren’t envisioning commercial success. We just wanted to create something that works well in my hands, that would improve a surgeon’s work and be better for patient outcomes.”</p><p><a class="ucb-link-button ucb-link-button-gold ucb-link-button-default ucb-link-button-regular" href="/mechanical/researchers-redefine-hip-arthroscopy-breakthrough-surgical-device" rel="nofollow"><span class="ucb-link-button-contents">Take a deep dive into the technology</span></a></p> <div class="field_media_oembed_video"><iframe src="/engineering/media/oembed?url=https%3A//www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DYIm_ANW6bzk&amp;max_width=516&amp;max_height=350&amp;hash=E9EtI6kSvfy8mEtrsaN38yBWN66SSZHiEyyP572yl3Q" width="516" height="290" class="media-oembed-content" loading="eager" title="Collaborative Breakthrough in Hip Surgery"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>7</div> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle large_image_style"> <img loading="lazy" src="/engineering/sites/default/files/styles/large_image_style/public/2026-05/Slotted_Cannula_Jacob_Segil_20251205_JMP_032.jpg?itok=rKBVQa4-" width="1500" height="653" alt="Slotted Cannula Jacob Segil"> </div> </div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Thu, 21 May 2026 16:45:40 +0000 Hanna Nordwall 8288 at /engineering /engineering/frugal-engineering-innovator-saad-bhamla-headed-cu-boulder <span>Frugal engineering innovator Saad Bhamla headed to �鶹��Ѱ�����Boulder</span> <span><span>Susan Glairon</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-10-03T09:36:45-06:00" title="Friday, October 3, 2025 - 09:36">Fri, 10/03/2025 - 09:36</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/engineering/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-10/Saad-Bhamla-People-Behind-the-Science-1-768x820%20copy%202.jpg?h=255e307e&amp;itok=9DTP-Pe1" width="1200" height="800" alt="Saad Bhamla smiling in a lab setting, wearing glasses and a blue T-shirt that reads “Middle Earth’s Annual Mordor Fun Run” with a graphic of mountains and the Eye of Sauron."> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2251"> Innovation </a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/60"> Research </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2268" hreflang="en">Biological Engineering</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2264" hreflang="en">Bioscience</a> </div> <a href="/engineering/susan-glairon">Susan Glairon</a> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Saad Bhamla, a pioneering scientist known for studying unusual biological systems and inventing ultra-low-cost medical devices, will join the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the BioFrontiers Institute in August. His work blends biology, engineering and frugal science.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/chbe/frugal-engineering-innovator-saad-bhamla-headed-cu-boulder-0`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:36:45 +0000 Susan Glairon 8035 at /engineering /engineering/-research-detect-target-cancer-cells <span>Diamond in the rough: Research could help better detect, target cancer cells</span> <span><span>Alexander Jame…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-14T09:57:05-07:00" title="Friday, February 14, 2025 - 09:57">Fri, 02/14/2025 - 09:57</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/engineering/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-02/Ding-lab-photo.png?h=3f8015e7&amp;itok=7ChrtYaQ" width="1200" height="800" alt="Associate Professor Xiaoyun Ding"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2251"> Innovation </a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/60"> Research </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2259" hreflang="en">Biomedical Engineering</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2264" hreflang="en">Bioscience</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2258" hreflang="en">Health</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2240" hreflang="en">Mechanical Engineering</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>Associate Professor Xiaoyun Ding and his team in the Biomedical Microfluidics Laboratory (BMMLab) stumbled across an interesting anomaly during a cell sensing project that used different forms of acoustic waves to measure cell mechanics. The group discovered a new wave mode never seen before that can unlock a new level of cell manipulation capabilities.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/mechanical/research-detect-target-cancer-cells`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Fri, 14 Feb 2025 16:57:05 +0000 Alexander James Servantez 7780 at /engineering /engineering/rentschler-aspero-medical-awarded-45m-endoscopy-advancement <span>Rentschler, Aspero Medical awarded $4.5M for endoscopy advancement</span> <span><span>Alexander Jame…</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-02-11T14:43:46-07:00" title="Tuesday, February 11, 2025 - 14:43">Tue, 02/11/2025 - 14:43</time> </span> <div> <div class="imageMediaStyle focal_image_wide"> <img loading="lazy" src="/engineering/sites/default/files/styles/focal_image_wide/public/2025-02/2025_2_3_Mark_Rentschler_Endoscopy_Devices_PC0046.JPG?h=03083033&amp;itok=HS44d2ch" width="1200" height="800" alt="Mark Rentschler holding current, future Aspero Medical devices"> </div> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-categories" itemprop="about"> <span class="visually-hidden">Categories:</span> <div class="ucb-article-category-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-folder-open"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/419"> Awards </a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/435"> Entrepreneurship </a> </div> <div role="contentinfo" class="container ucb-article-tags" itemprop="keywords"> <span class="visually-hidden">Tags:</span> <div class="ucb-article-tag-icon" aria-hidden="true"> <i class="fa-solid fa-tags"></i> </div> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2259" hreflang="en">Biomedical Engineering</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2264" hreflang="en">Bioscience</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2258" hreflang="en">Health</a> <a href="/engineering/taxonomy/term/2240" hreflang="en">Mechanical Engineering</a> </div> <div class="ucb-article-content ucb-striped-content"> <div class="container"> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--article-content paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div class="ucb-article-text" itemprop="articleBody"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div>With the help of a $4.5 million award through the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative, they are working to bring two new products to the market that will transform procedures in the small bowel region.</div> <script> window.location.href = `/mechanical/rentschler-aspero-awarded-45m-endoscopy-advancement`; </script> <h2> <div class="paragraph paragraph--type--ucb-related-articles-block paragraph--view-mode--default"> <div>Off</div> </div> </h2> <div>Traditional</div> <div>0</div> <div>On</div> <div>White</div> Tue, 11 Feb 2025 21:43:46 +0000 Alexander James Servantez 7760 at /engineering