The National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI) is extending the deadline for the “Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!” pitch competition by one week to Monday, Sept. 12 at 5 p.m. EDT.
 
Up to six prizes totaling $250,000 will be awarded to the winning presentations at the fourth annual Pediatric Surgical Innovation Symposium on Oct. 8, hosted by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children’s National Health System.
 
The competition invites proposals from innovators—researchers, entrepreneurs, and clinicians—with a pediatric medical device concept that addresses a significant, yet unmet pediatric need and lends itself to commercialization. In addition to the prize money, winners will receive consultation services from NCC-PDI.
 
“With the upcoming holiday, we wanted to give medical device innovators more time to submit their application,” said Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., executive director of the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and NCC-PDI.
 
Confirmed judges for the pitch competition include Susan Alpert, a former director of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Device Evaluation and former senior vice president and chief regulatory officer for Medtronic plc; Julia Finkel, M.D., of Children’s National Health System; Rick Greenwald of Simbex; Matt Maltese, Ph.D., of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; and Tiffany Wilson of the Global Center for Medical Innovation.

The one-day conference and medtech innovation showcase will bring together innovators, children’s hospital executives, local economic development strategists, investors, patient advocates, and policy makers, to stimulate pediatric device innovation and bring solutions to market faster. The opening keynote speaker is Brian T. Kenner, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development for the District of Columbia.
 
For symposium agenda and registration, visit www.pediatric-surgery-symposium.org.