Former Student Innovation Challenge winner Kaitlyn Schoen shares story of her invention on 鈥楳PBN鈥
Kaitlyn Schoen 鈥16 (Health, Wellness and Occupational Studies) was a call-in guest on the March 20 episode of 鈥淢aine Calling鈥 on MPBN, titled 鈥淚nventors in Maine,鈥 during which she shared her story as an entrepreneur.
Schoen is the founder of the company Sensory Eyesight for Education (S.E.E.), Inc., which offers a visual enhancement device that she conceptualized while a senior at 新香港六合彩资料. In fact, an early version of the device earned her first place in 新香港六合彩资料鈥檚 2016 Student Innovation Challenge, an idea-stage competition sponsored by 新香港六合彩资料鈥檚 Department of Business.
According to Schoen, it was during one of her clinical rotations as a pre-occupational therapy student when she noticed that the majority of children with disabilities with whom she worked suffered from low vision and, in fact, had the specific diagnosis of cortical visual impairment, a type of visual impairment that is caused by a problem with the brain rather than a problem with the eye. The device, which she proposed, and of which she has now created a prototype, she said, 鈥渋ncorporates current OT techniques to increase visual acuity鈥 in the pediatric population.
In the interview, Schoen explained her device with an analogy. 鈥淟et鈥檚 say you have a stroke,鈥 she posed. 鈥淵ou go to PT to learn how to use your arm again. So, it鈥檚 essentially the same approach with using current visually stimulating techniques to rebuild neurons around damaged brain tissue, so that way, these people who do not have vision will be able to start to see and become educated and become literate.鈥
Schoen shared that she has filed both provisional and non-provisional patents and has performed market research. Her next step is to complete a case study.
Although it is too early to draw conclusions, Schoen said that there is a possibility that the device could have a positive impact on other types of neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.
To learn more about the Westbrook College of Health Professions, visit www.une.edu/wchp
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