TU Delft Students Innovate Healthcare with Unique Hackathon Collaboration
Delft, Saturday, 25 January 2025.
Students from TU Delft, ROC Mondriaan, and Inholland collaborated successfully, creating ‘Tandenfee,’ a denture-cleaning machine, showcasing cross-level innovation for healthcare solutions during a recent hackathon.
Addressing Real Healthcare Challenges
The healthcare hackathon, held on January 24, 2025, at ROC Mondriaan, brought together students from diverse educational backgrounds to tackle practical healthcare challenges encountered during vocational internships [1]. The event specifically focused on addressing common issues faced in elderly care, including denture cleaning for dementia patients [1]. This cross-institutional collaboration demonstrates a growing trend in healthcare technology innovation, bringing together theoretical knowledge and practical experience [1].
Innovation Through Collaboration
The winning innovation, ‘Tandenfee’, represents a breakthrough in dental care technology for dementia patients. The device not only cleans dentures but also incorporates advanced features such as inspection capabilities and location tracking through an embedded chip [1]. According to Professor Maarten van der Elst from TU Delft and Reinier de Graaf Hospital, the device shows significant potential for further development [1]. The project emerged from a unique collaboration between academic institutions, including TU Delft, ROC Mondriaan, and Inholland University of Applied Sciences, alongside healthcare providers Reinier de Graaf Hospital and Pieter van Foreest [1].
Practical Impact and Future Potential
The development of Tandenfee demonstrates the value of combining academic expertise with practical healthcare experience. As noted by Ad Blom from ROC Mondriaan, ‘The level of innovation exceeded expectations, and this style of education definitely leaves us wanting more’ [1]. The project’s success was particularly meaningful as it addressed real challenges observed by students during their internships, such as Eliana’s experience at a care home in The Hague [1]. This practical approach to healthcare innovation showcases how cross-level educational collaboration can lead to meaningful solutions for everyday healthcare challenges.