Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, QNC 3606
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
519-888-4567, ext. 38654
win-office@uwaterloo.ca
As a child, 2016 Nanofellowship awardee Youssef Helwa (BASc ’15, nanotechnology engineering, MASc ’17, electrical engineering from UWaterloo) was mesmerized by his mother’s stories about the patients she cared for as a surgeon.
Those conversations became the inspiration for NERv Technology Inc., a Kitchener-based company he founded with fellow UWaterloo alumnus Amr Abdelgawad (BASc ’16, nanotechnology engineering, MBET ’17 from UWaterloo) that is developing a smart monitoring system to alert healthcare providers to possible complications following abdominal surgery.
“The best way to comprehend the problem is to think about the operative care journey for patients,” Helwa said. “Patients come out of surgery, and unfortunately, a subset of these patients end up developing some sort of complication. They start becoming sick with symptoms, and the doctors have to start playing the game of investigating why these patients are feeling sick.”
NERv’s smart monitoring system removes some of that guesswork by helping caregivers identify leaks, bleeds or potential infections early. Detecting these silent issues before the onset of symptoms allows the healthcare provider to intervene before the complication becomes critical.
Go to Waterloo startup testing nanotechnology to reach better postoperative patient outcomes for the full story.
Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, QNC 3606
University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West,
Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1
519-888-4567, ext. 38654
win-office@uwaterloo.ca
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.