Health

Hip to be an innovator

Hanna Nordwall — Thu, 21 May 2026 16:45:40 +0000

Hip to be an innovator Hanna Nordwall Thu, 05/21/2026 - 10:45 Alexander Servantez

Engineer and doctor take medical device from CU accelerator to commercialization

Jacob Segil and Dr. Omer Mei-Dan were enjoying a celebratory dinner in 2018 when the idea for their newest commercialization success struck.

“We were celebrating the sale of our first company at a restaurant. Mei- Dan grabbed a napkin and just started sketching an idea for a new project,” said Segil, a research professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering. “He said he wanted it this way, with these features, and we just got to work on it right away.”

Segil and Mei-Dan, a surgeon and professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, are the architects behind a redesigned surgical instrument called the CAP-LIFT cannula.

The device has completely transformed arthroscopic procedures in the hip region, making them safer and more efficient. In fact, Mei-Dan said the next-generation cannula has been a catalyst for hundreds of successful hip arthroscopy surgeries nationwide since its launch in August 2025.

But like many engineering projects, achieving real-world impact doesn’t just happen overnight.

“It began as a self-funded project on campus, where we were building prototypes and trying to envision how it could be used in surgery,” Segil said, pulling out a clear bag filled with different iterations of the CAP-LIFT cannula. “Each one of us would bring different perspectives to the table so that together we could make the best product possible.”

When the two finally came up with the right design, they submitted the technology and won ��ñ��’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC) in 2020. Segil said the annual innovation competition, which supports top projects throughout the CU system with large grants to help translate research into successful business ventures, was a crucial early milestone in their endeavor.

From there, Segil and Mei-Dan used the LVC award to help push the device into human trials. By working alongside the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board, the two were able to produce units that could be used directly by Mei-Dan in the operating room, improving surgical safety and efficacy right away while beginning to collect real-life data.

“We were testing the different iterations of this product for the past five years in my practice,” Mei-Dan said. “The clinical yield was so significant I no longer wanted to perform a procedure without it. I’ve probably used it in over 1,000 total cases.”

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A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks

Susan Glairon — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:05:27 +0000

A simple shot shows promise to reverse osteoarthritis within weeks Susan Glairon Mon, 04/06/2026 - 16:05

A ��ñ��-led team has developed a suite of new therapies aimed at reversing osteoarthritis in a single injection. With animal studies showing promise and funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health extended, the team could be ready for human trials by 2028.

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Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award

Susan Glairon — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:48:45 +0000

Kristi Anseth receives the Biomaterials Global Impact Award Susan Glairon Tue, 03/31/2026 - 14:48

Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth has received the Biomaterials Global Impact Award, which recognizes distinguished research and development accomplishments in the field of biomaterials. Anseth is known for developing tissue substitutes that improve treatments for conditions like broken bones and heart valve disease.

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Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past?

Susan Glairon — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:46:21 +0000

Could 3D-printed livers make transplant lists a thing of the past? Susan Glairon Tue, 03/24/2026 - 08:46

��ñ�� researchers and partners at MIT, Harvard and Columbia are working to recreate the human liver’s complex structure in the lab. With support from a $25 million ARPA-H grant, the team aims to develop 3D-printed, transplantable liver tissue made from human cells that the body won’t reject.

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Why do we get a skip in our step when we’re happy? Thank dopamine

Alexander Servantez — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 20:21:34 +0000

Why do we get a skip in our step when we’re happy? Thank dopamine Alexander Servantez Fri, 02/27/2026 - 13:21

Professor Alaa Ahmed is leading a study that highlights the central role that dopamine, a brain chemical associated with reward, seems to play in making people move faster when they want something. The findings could one day help scientists understand and even diagnose a range of human medical conditions, including Parkinson’s disease and depression.

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Global collaboration to limit air pollution flowing across borders could save millions of lives

Alexander Servantez — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:04:48 +0000

Global collaboration to limit air pollution flowing across borders could save millions of lives Alexander Servantez Fri, 02/13/2026 - 11:04

A first-of-its-kind study, led by Professor Daven Henze and collaborators at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, assesses how health benefits of aggressive climate policy travel across international borders. The researchers say that ambitious climate action to improve global air quality could save up to 1.32 million lives per year by 2040.

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Donated blood has a shelf life. A new test tracks how it's aging

Alexander James Servantez — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:20:27 +0000

Donated blood has a shelf life. A new test tracks how it's aging Alexander Jame… Wed, 01/21/2026 - 10:20

Associate Professor Xiaoyun Ding and medical collaborators at CU Anschutz have created a new chip device to help give blood centers and hospitals a reliable way to monitor the quality of red blood cells after they sit for weeks in storage.

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Evan Thomas Wins International Water Association career award for global water impact

Susan Glairon — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 23:17:35 +0000

Evan Thomas Wins International Water Association career award for global water impact Susan Glairon Mon, 12/15/2025 - 16:17

Evan Thomas, a professor and director of the Mortenson Center in Global Engineering & Resilience, has been awarded a career honor from the International Water Association for work that has reshaped how safe drinking water is delivered in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.

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Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue

Susan Glairon — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:23:32 +0000

Scientists use ultrasound to soften and treat cancer tumors without damaging healthy tissue Susan Glairon Wed, 12/10/2025 - 10:23

A ��ñ�� team has invented a sound-wave technique that softens dense tumors so chemotherapy can penetrate more deeply. The discovery could boost treatment effectiveness and make cancer therapies safer for patients.

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Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award

Susan Glairon — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 21:07:51 +0000

Bruce Kirkpatrick honored with Outstanding Dissertation Award Susan Glairon Wed, 11/26/2025 - 14:07

Susan Glairon

Chemical and Biological Engineering PhD Student Bruce Kirkpatrick was honored with the 2025 Outstanding Dissertation Award. His hydrogel research supports technologies that enable 3D cell culture for tissue engineering and disease modeling, as well as acellular biomaterials for applications like controlled release of drugs or vaccines.

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Health

Hip to be an innovator

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