![](https://brownfound.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/2C7A3323-1024x683.jpg)
Brown Scholar Caitlin Sannes and her team won 1st place at the Biomedical Engineering Showcase. They improved a vesicoamniotic shunt to treat fetal lower urinary tract obstructions.
The team created a pigtail shunt with a nitinol piece that can be inserted into a fetal bladder using minimally invasive ultrasound guidance. The pigtail shunt resists dislodgement while accommodating fetal growth. The device remains in place for the entire duration of pregnancy to improve fetus outcomes.