MilkIt! A disinfection solution that allows HIV+ breast-feeding moms use their own breast milk to feed their newborn

Team Picture
Students: Leah Veldhuis, Camryn MacDougall, Aarzoo Kunnath, Megan Richer
Program: Biomedical Engineering
In the past decade, the transmission rates of HIV have increased in Canada, in part due to the lack of funding and awareness. To mitigate the spread, our team aims to design a medical device to be used by HIV-positive, breastfeeding mothers that prevents perinatal transmission by deactivating HIV with UV-C light while preserving the taste, nutritional value, and immunity aspects of breastmilk. We are applying an existing disinfection technique in a portable and user-friendly design to give parents the choice to breastfeed.