Magnes: A robust method of detecting magnets within foreign body ingestions

Foreign body ingestions occur frequently among children and young adults, with 74,725 cases per year in the US alone, and the ingestion of magnets can be life-threatening. Since magnets are highly variable in size and shape, they can be very difficult for even an experienced clinician to identify. This is very problematic, as when magnets enter the body, they have the ability to cause a myriad of critical issues including bowel perforation, loss of blood flow, and even death. We have worked to construct a device that provides emergency room doctors with a more reliable method to detect the presence of magnets in pediatric patients to improve diagnostic accuracy and remove any current guesswork. These foreign body ingestion cases can then be quickly streamlined and triaged based upon the magnet’s presence (or lack thereof) and be treated more effectively. Our product will be easy to use but also one which provides more information regarding the presence of a magnet compared to other competitors on the market. After identifying the need for innovation in the space of magnetic body ingestion detection, our device has the potential to transform the standard of care for future patients.