Inspiring inventor

Anuradha Godavarty has created new technology that she hopes will help doctors spot and reverse devastating medical conditions that affect millions worldwide — and the National Academy of Inventors has already recognized her for her efforts. Named a senior fellow of the organization in 2021, the associate professor of biomedical engineering has for years sought to harness the use of near-infrared, or invisible, light in the service of life-saving imaging.

Her low-cost, portable devices promise the hope of quick, in-office checks for ulcers associated with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. The ability to regularly monitor the flow of oxygenated blood around a sore — something currently difficult to do, even with advanced imaging such as MRI — by essentially looking under the skin with a maneuverable tool could help physicians prevent the worst complications of tissue and bone damage that annually lead to some 150,000 lower-extremity amputations in the United States alone.

Godavarty holds 14 issued and pending U.S and global patents related to the development of hand-held and smart phone-based devices as well as approaches to analyzing physical changes indicative of either deterioration or improvement. Such achievements mean little, however, says the seasoned researcher, who is already testing her inventions, until the day they make a difference in lives.

“My motivation, what drives me always, is to see if I can translate the technology. Can I actually take it and help people?"