Focusing on the 6Ds of exponential innovation to bring out next-gen solutions, City-based L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) hosted the sixth edition of Engineering Eye Hackathon (ETE6) from July 4-8.

Over 20 teams showcased the outcome of their creative minds that were built in 72 hours to shape the future of healthcare service providers. Every year, Engineering the Eye brings together a unique opportunity for innovators to delve into the possibilities of building solutions for eye healthcare problems. LVPEI, one of the largest eye care network in India, provides a platform for young minds to see their innovations go from prototype to product in the hands of the target audience through this annual event.

Engineering the Eye is a five-day healthcare hackathon where members of the ecosystem get together with enthusiastic minds across multiple disciplines to solve current pressing and future problems in eye care. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Virender Singh Sangwan, Director, LVPEI Center for Innovation; Centre for Ocular Regeneration (CORE) at LVPEI; and Dr Paul Dubord Chair in Cornea at LVPEI, said, “Engineering the Eye projects have spawned amazing collaborations with companies, research institutions and other communities. Some of them turned into greater efforts at the LVPEI Center for Innovation while others have been pursued as start-ups by the innovators.

This year, we witnessed an amazing range of prototypes displaying the 6Ds of exponential innovation, they said.

At this year’s edition of the Engineering the Eye Hackathon, 15 unique problem statements were provided to the students by the clinician faculty at LVPEI. Out of these problem statements, eight were shortlisted for final presentation to the jury. The winner of the three finalists was an innovative idea for an endoscope to diagnose Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in preterm babies, mentored by Dr Subhadra Jalali.

The Center for Innovation at LVPEI has been the home to many innovations in the areas of eye care delivery, biology of the eye, surgical techniques, eye banking and children's eye health among others over the years.

Two products that were conceptualized and created at previous events of the Engineering the Eye workshop won international accolades this year.