Central Michigan University

Friday, October 3, 2008

CMU student designs innovative medical tool

Central Michigan University physician assistant student Yunyan Qu carefully creates a slide using her invention, the Chromosomal Dropper Tool, in a lab at CMU.

Photo by Robert Barclay
CMU Public Relations and Marketing

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Media Contact(s):

Tracy Burton
989-774-1072
tracy.burton@cmich.edu

A new tool will help researchers in labs around the world improve the precision of their findings. The Chromosome Dropper Tool eases challenges of today's chromosomal analysis, which involves research using genes, embryo, clone and stem cells to help diagnose medical conditions, said Yunyan Qu, a physician assistant student at Central Michigan University who invented the tool.

"It's hard to be consistent, efficient, and produce quality results when dropping chromosomes on a slide by hand," Qu said. "My professors at CMU taught me the importance of accuracy and have pushed me to think more innovatively."

And that is what led Qu to invent this much-needed tool, which enables a technician to drop chromosomes exactly where they need to be on a slide. It also produces more efficient results because the angle is always accurate, and it's flexible to allow a change of degree, spot location or height.

"This invention is an example of Yunyan's resourcefulness and innovation," said Thom Saunders, a research assistant professor at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. "This tool improves the quality of our research results and that will have a positive impact in the field."

Lab technicians can easily be trained to use the tool, which creates even more efficiency in the lab as a whole. Once a scientific supply company purchases rights to the tool, it will be widely distributed.

"This is another step toward progress," said Dr. Ahmad Hakemi, director of the physician assistant program at CMU. "The future of medical diagnosis and treatment will be heavily dependant on this type of research."

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