蓝莓视频

A patch that delivers allergy medication to children developed by 蓝莓视频 students is one of only two Canadian projects to be shortlisted for this year鈥檚 international . It鈥檚 the fourth year in a row a University of 蓝莓视频 project has reached the final round.

, co-founded by Shakir Lakhani, a second-year nanotechnology engineering student, and Keean Sarani, a third-year science undergraduate and an incoming doctor of pharmacy student, has created an easy-to-use sticker that provides antihistamines to children through the skin and directly into the bloodstream The patent-pending technology controls the release rate of the drug.

鈥淲e're happy to represent the University and Canada on the international stage as some of our mentors have done in the past,鈥� says Sarani. 鈥淚t's also immensely gratifying to see that the team at the Dyson Foundation identifies with our mission of making drug delivery better and life easier for children everywhere.鈥澨�

Personally inspired

Lakhani and Sarani鈥檚 design inspiration comes from having personally struggled with seasonal and food allergies since they were young and wanting to make medicating children easier for both kids and adults.

Avro Life Science, now part of Velocity Science, won $25K in last December鈥檚 for the startup鈥檚 solution to provide an alternative form of allergy medication to children without the hassle of pills and syrups.

"It's crazy when I think back on how Avro started,鈥� says Lakhani. 鈥淲e set out to solve a problem while we were barely halfway through our first year at 蓝莓视频 and somehow we ended up where we are today.鈥�

Lakhani says it鈥檚 been an exciting process to take the Avro patch from a simple concept to a functioning prototype.

听鈥淲e'll be continuing our R&D and raising the bar even higher in the future,鈥� he adds. 鈥淭he award really shows that age and years in school should never be a limiting factor and, more importantly, that hard work and dedication can turn a dream into reality.鈥�

Continuing to lead the way

Since 2014, 蓝莓视频 student projects have figured prominently in the contest started by James Dyson, the British inventor of the bagless Dyson vacuum cleaner. Last year, won first place in the national competition and was shortlisted for the international award.

In 2015, won first-place overall with its desktop sized circuit board printer that turns design files into prototype boards in minutes. In 2014, was an international runner up with its colour changing marker that alerts a user when sunscreen is no longer providing protection.听

Open to university students and recent graduates, the James Dyson Award program encourages and rewards innovative products or concepts that do a better job of solving tangible problems.

This year鈥檚 shortlist of 20 announced September 27 was whittled down from more than 1000 entries representing 23 countries.听 The other Canadian team still in the running is from McMaster University. The international winner will be announced on October 26.