Past Recipients - 38 by 38 - Purdue University

Jessica Traver is confident that her medical device company, IntuiTap Medical, has the solution to make spinal punctures more accurate, consistent, and predictable. While the current standard of care for procedures like epidurals and spinal taps relies on a provider's feel and guesswork to determine where to place the needle, her company's device promises significant improvement to the patient experience by reducing insertion attempts, complications and treatment refusals. VerTouch is a handheld imaging tool that can be used bedside — with anatomy displayed in real-time for efficient identification of the insertion site. Traver has led her team through the development of multiple iterations of the device, clinical trials, and now FDA approval — outpacing the industry average for medical device companies. They plan to launch the device in hospitals across the country by the end of the year.

VerTouch has been used on over 180 patients to date, yielded 22 patents, two published studies, victories in multiple business plan competitions, and attention from esteemed publications and organizations such as Johnson & Johnson, Glamour magazine, and Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry. Traver, who serves as CEO, was recognized alongside her IntuiTap Medical co-founder on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list within the company's first year of operation. To date, she has secured more than $12M in funding.

At Purdue's School of Mechanical Engineering, she reviews curriculum changes, offers industry insight, and provides career preparation tips as a member of the Early Professionals Academic Council. In addition, she lends her time as a mentor, guest speaker, and judge for the Innovation Challenge.