Spring Break
Medical expo samples emerging technologies
Katie Stoneback
Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: Features
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The purpose of the expo was to provide an opportunity for the Health Sciences division and emerging technology exhibitors to interact with each other and provide possible opportunities for students.
"This is bigger than I thought it was going to be," said ECU student Tommy Cash. "I think it's great that all these vendors came out to help us with our studies."
Some of the technologies included medical dictionaries for iPods, interactive 4-D medical study computer program, and even a Wii Fit.
ECU purchased a group of medical references from Unbound Medicine, a company that manufactures new medical technological devices, and has made them available free to all students at Laupus Library.
The Wii Fit was promoted by ECU's Allied Health faculty to help motivate sedentary workers.
"I love the Wii; I never thought it would be used in medical-wise [way] though," said student Jamie Stanley.
Some of the vendors present have contracts with the university and were here to promote their items. Others were there to educate students and professors on new technologies and help ease their workload.
In between vendor shopping, ECU students and faculty were able to participate in "breakout" secessions, where demos of software, technologies and even a live demonstration of robotic heart surgery were on display.
The live robotic heart surgery was done by Dr. Wiley Nifong in Pitt County Memorial Hospital and was broadcast live inside a large meeting room in the Heart Institute.
"It was absolutely great to be able to watch that kind of surgery live, and that the patient allowed the university to educate others while doing the surgery," said vendor representative Larry Jackson.
Since last April, a committee had been planning and organizing the event. The university received a grant in April 2008 to hold the Expo. Between the grant, vendors and donations, the event has been completely funded and the university had no out of pocket expenses.
"I hope people walk away from this with a creative spark for using technologies in research in clinical," said Expo planning committee chair Elizabeth Ketterman. "I really hope the students find something that will help them."
At the end of the event, a drawing was held to give away prizes to guests.
An iPod shuffle, Dell Mini Laptops, a Logitech QuickCam Webcam, a Targus Optical Mouse and numerous gift cards were donated for the raffle.
"I am so glad I came. At first I didn't really want to because I thought people were going to be begging me to buy their items, but it really was nothing like I had pictured," said student Keri Smith.
To find out more about the emerging technologies seen at the show, visit ecu.edu/expo.
This writer can be contacted at features@theeastcarolinian.com.
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