My Idea Evolution!

Hey, it's Annie, and I'm excited to help you peer behind the curtains and read about some of the brainstorming that went on before I came up with a concept for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge! I had some initial ideas that were completely different from my initial prototype, like a custom 3D toothbrush that would more precisely clean everyone’s mouths, but at the end of the day, my experience with tearing my hamstring was just something I really needed to address. Even within this one domain, there were so many problems:

Problem #1: While I was given an x-ray to make sure no bone was broken, my tear did not receive any MRI or ultrasound. My assessment was qualitative—how much did it hurt and where did it hurt? The assessments did not seem to be infallible.

Problem #2: Once you tear a hamstring, your odds of retearing it go up dramatically. How can an athlete make sure she is completely recovered without seeing what is going on under the skin? I passed yet another qualitative assessment—I no longer felt pain—yet I retore my hamstring.

Problem #3: Even if a person wanted to buy an ultrasound, they are exorbitantly priced, and without at least a year of training, it’s hard to read them. What’s even more interesting is that even two practitioners reading the same ultrasound could each come up with two different diagnoses. Further, grade 1 tears are only estimated to be caught 50% of the time.

So, I came up with a solution: an inexpensive at-home ultrasound device that could use AI to classify strains! Athletes, including kids, could take charge of their bodies and make sure they were seeing the full picture.

I can't wait to refine my prototype and see how it can positively impact the sports community!

-Annie