UW engineering student wins prestigious women’s health award for innovative lymphedema device

UW Mechanical Engineering Masters of Science student, Nicholas Levinski, won the Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award at the master’s level, along with $25,000, from the Council of Ontario Universities (COU). The award recognizes Levinski and his team’s research on developing a portable, wearable device to monitor limb volume in those with lymphedema, specifically women recovering from cancer or hysterectomies.

Lymphedema is when lymph can’t flow normally and builds up in the soft tissues of a limb causing swelling in that area. Lymphedema is one of the major treatment complications and has become one of the greatest fears for survivors, second to cancer recurrence. Between 20 and 40 per cent of women treated for breast cancer or other gynaecological surgeries experience lymphedema. This makes Levinski and his team’s research that much more essential.

The lymphedema treatment sleeve is an accessible material that allows women to take control of the monitoring process, understand their bodies more, and have a more comfortable and customizable limb volume monitoring process. “The wearable sensors we are developing will make at-home monitoring possible, providing specialists with invaluable data to make more personalized interventions,” said Levinski. “This is critical in addressing the gaps in treatment options for patients.”

Levinski and his team’s research drew from conversations with specialists, clinics, patentees of lymphoedema, and women suffering from lymphedema — including Levinski’s grandmother. “I have seen the impact of secondary lymphedema in people close to me, including my grandmother, who developed it after breast cancer,” said Levinski. “I witnessed how inaccessible physical assessments are and how they lack personalized care.”

The most common method for measuring limb volume is a standard tape measure. “This requires a trained specialist to carefully complete measurements across a person’s limb to then estimate how much change has been detected since their last measurement,” Levinski explained. “This process is prone to error and difficult to repeat multiple times for a physician, which can be uncomfortable and not accommodating to all body types.” The lymphedema treatment sleeve combats these issues with its portability, accessibility, and ease of use. 

The development of the lymphedema treatment sleeve originated in Levinski’s undergraduate co-op at the Waterloo Microfluidics Lab. Then, Levinski moved on to study flexible sensors for biomedical uses in his fourth-year design project (FYDP). “We initially designed the device to prevent pressure ulcers in long-term care patients, but I recognized its broader potential, including applications for lymphedema,” said Levinski. “We are currently developing our first prototype to begin more in-depth testing. It has been an exciting journey so far with many failures and successes.”

This win of a woman’s health award for Levinski marks an important step towards encouraging those of all genders, not just women, to explore women’s healthcare. “I believe that men can use their skills and platforms to advocate for better care and equal opportunities,” Levinski said. “It is necessary for men to recognize the importance of women’s health and to support research that addresses the unique challenges and opportunities within this field.”

This award also serves as a reminder that women’s healthcare, specifically FemTech, is a vital industry, as healthcare research has failed women for centuries. Women continue to be misdiagnosed, neglected, dismissed, or told their symptoms are all in their heads. “I have been reached out to by many women who were excited about the research and effort being put into a condition that is often overlooked,” Levinski said. “If anyone is on the fence about researching women’s healthcare, I would strongly encourage them to do so. We need more inclusive and accessible innovations. We need more voices who can produce creative and diverse ideas.”