Burning, tingling, and a loss of sensation in the fingers – these are the most common symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Students Vasil Kostin from the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and Tomáš Trejdl from the Czech Technical University (CTU) are currently "writing a prescription" for this occupational disease.
Vasil Kostin (left) and Tomáš Trejdl have known each other since childhood. They were united by their desire to "save the world"; now they want
to use their invention - a smart mouse pad - to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome, affecting countless computer users worldwide. (photo: Kuba Zeman)
Vasil Kostin and Tomáš Trejdl participated in a global competition, the Red Bull Basement student innovation event, in Istanbul in March. They showcase their invention among a slew of ideas and technological innovations. Their gadget? A clever item aimed at preventing wrist pain. Kostin and Trejdl, two university students from the Czech Republic, presented their special mouse pad before 44 representatives from countries ranging from Australia, Sri Lanka and Sweden to Canada and Norway.
The experience? Invaluable
Vasil is a fifth-year student at the Third Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, while Tomáš, after studying software engineering, is pursuing a master's degree in human-computer interaction at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Their long-standing friendship and passion for technological innovation in medicine first led them to the Smart Triage project. The project helped triage patients in hospitals during the worst of the Covid pandemic and was featured in Forum magazine. The young men admit that “just studying” is not as much fun as having a life filled with challenges - all the experience gained is invaluable.
Fighting carpal tunnel syndrome
Now they would like to help in the prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome. “Our goal is to help people by preventing this disability from ever happening to them. After all, according to studies, one in 10 people suffer from carpal tunnel and about 30 percent of people who work with computers suffer pain. Carpal tunnel also affects doctors and staff in operating theatres,” Vasil explains. He himself has assisted in carpal tunnel surgery on more than one occasion.
Tomáš is interested in the disability by its very nature - he spends several hours every day at the computer. The result of their joint efforts is a smart mouse pad that can detect the risk of carpal tunnel from algorithms evaluating hand behaviour and movement.
The search for a skilled programmer
For the Wrest project – its official name - the young developers even secured a grant from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TACR) some time ago. But that is about to run out.
“In addition to other financial resources, we are looking for new team members; so far it has been just the two of us. And this is quite demanding with the overriding need to succeed in our studies. If there is a skilled programmer with an interest in the application who can bring the technology to a successful conclusion, we’ll be in business,” says Tomáš.
And how did the Wrest project actually fare in Istanbul? It was among the top 10 in the world! And that's also because, unlike other participants, the project was presented at an advanced stage of development. Personal mentors also helped with their advice for better orientation in the business world: Dita Formánková (Czechitas and Avast), tech youtuber Petr Mára and Pavlína Louženská (Marketing Girls). “It was an incredible experience. We met many representatives of famous companies and got contacts of people who decided to support and help us,” Tomáš says.
Clinical trials... and finished by December?
The successful Czech inventors have since returned to their university classrooms but they are not letting up a bit but are recruiting patients for their Wrest clinical trial, which could be launched - if enough volunteers can be recruited - in May of this year. And that shouldn't be a problem; nearly a dozen domestic companies have already expressed interest: they honour the idea that looking after their employees' health is a good corporate asset.
“By December 2022, we would like to have the product out in the world,” Vasil Kostin and Tomáš Trejdel agree in their business plans. If this happens, we – as users of the smart pad – will be able to safely get to work on the computer, because it will alert us at the right moment: 'You are working too long, you need to exercise your wrist! Choose from these exercises...”
Presentation of the Wrest project by the two inventor-participants at the world finals of the competition in Istanbul (photo: Red Bull Content Pool).
