From concept to reality: Entrepreneurial program brings inventors and business students together

SALT LAKE CITY — As an orthopedic and spinal surgeon in training in 2004, Dr. Alpesh Patel knew there had to be a better way to detect when a surgeon accidentally nicks an esophagus or a bowel with a scalpel.

"When it does occur it actually can be pretty devastating to a patient, with a high mortality rate," Patel said. "There wasn't a great way in real time to detect that this injury has occurred." In fact, most leaks aren't detected until after the surgery site is closed and the patient begins to exhibit symptoms of a complication.

It is estimated that about 10,000 nicks and leaks happen in the United States each year. Patel came up with the idea of using a device to fill an esophagus or bowel with a fluid, either colored or clear. If nicked, the fluid leaking out can alert the surgeon to the problem before closing up.

Patel knew he had a great idea, and even wrote a research paper on it and created a prototype in 2006. But he was a surgeon, not a businessman, and he had no idea, beyond patent paperwork, on how to form a business or how to market his device.

Enter MBA students Nic Anderson, Michael Burr and Ryan Murri. Applying what they've learned at the business school, the entrepreneurial trio helped Patel create a business plan and get his company off the ground. Monitus Medical now has capital investors and is about to submit the device for preliminary FDA approval.

The Monitus Medical story is just one example of the partnerships the U. is forming between science inventors and business students.

While many universities will secure patents for medical devices, not many actually help an inventor start their own business. The University of Utah leads the nation in the number of tech startups due to its unique system of grants and business development programs.

This year, the Pierre Lassonde Entrepreneur Center at the David Eccles School of Business celebrated its 10th anniversary. Since its creation in 2002, the center has overseen the creation of around 30 startup companies. The center was started with a $13.25 million grant from mining businessman Pierre Lassonde, who is a U. alumni.

The center now awards about $100,000 in scholarships each year to graduate students who work with scientists to start up news companies. The center also awards an additional $125,000 for undergraduate student entrepreneur competitions.