# UofL Medical Students Win Pitch Competition With Medical Device Innovation **Published:** 2026-06-04T13:23:00.000Z **Source:** [Lane Report (KY Business)](https://www.lanereport.com/188003/2026/06/uofl-medicine-students-wins-pitch-competition-with-plan-for-more-use-of-devices/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uofl-medical-students-win-pitch-competition-with-medical-device-innovation Two University of Louisville School of Medicine students have won the developed category in the Kentucky Intercollegiate Pitch competition, taking home a $15,000 award for their medical device company Claustrum Design. Justin Houts and Kieran Richards, both non-traditional medical students, prevailed in [the state's largest competition for student entrepreneurs](https://kentuckygse.com/collegiate-pitch/), overseen by the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs. Their company aims to modernize medical practices by developing innovative surgical and medical devices that improve patient outcomes and physician performance. The duo's most advanced product is Precisionject, a device that attaches to a syringe to modify how physicians grip it during precise injection procedures performed under ultrasound guidance. By allowing doctors to hold a syringe like a pencil, the device improves needle placement accuracy and control while reducing tissue damage and failed procedures, according to the students. Houts served in the military after high school before earning an ROTC-funded biochemistry degree from Fresno State. A chance to shadow a surgeon sparked his interest in medicine. Richards spent two years serving an ecclesiastical mission in Argentina before pursuing medicine, an experience he credits with deepening his understanding of compassionate patient care. The pair emphasized the importance of mentorship and support at UofL in developing their entrepreneurial ambitions. "We have encountered countless people who believe in us and want us to succeed," Richards said, citing feedback from UofL Health physicians and the university's technology transfer team. [The university's Bluegrass Biodesign program](https://louisville.edu/medicine/news/uofl2019s-innovators-identify-new-frontiers-in-medical-training-and-innovation) provides nine-month training where medical students gain hands-on experience developing and testing medical device concepts, combining curriculum from the School of Medicine, College of Business and J.B. Speed School of Engineering. The program has received national recognition for its interdisciplinary approach to medical entrepreneurship. Houts and Richards plan to build working prototypes and conduct in vitro trials to gather quantitative data for grant applications and investor interest. They've also been accepted to present at a business conference in Salt Lake City in June and recently partnered with a cerebrovascular neurosurgeon at Jewish Hospital on a project to improve operating room turnover logistics. ## Sources - [Lane Report (KY Business)](https://www.lanereport.com/188003/2026/06/uofl-medicine-students-wins-pitch-competition-with-plan-for-more-use-of-devices/) - [UofL News - UofL student team wins intercollegiate pitch competition](https://www.uoflnews.com/section/campus-and-community/uofl-student-team-wins-intercollegiate-pitch-competition/) - [Kentucky Governor's School for Entrepreneurs - Collegiate Pitch program information](https://kentuckygse.com/collegiate-pitch/) - [UofL School of Medicine - Bluegrass Biodesign program](https://louisville.edu/medicine/news/uofl2019s-innovators-identify-new-frontiers-in-medical-training-and-innovation) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Lane Report (KY Business), enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://www.lanereport.com/188003/2026/06/uofl-medicine-students-wins-pitch-competition-with-plan-for-more-use-of-devices/.