Meet Akshath Anand, 14, who built a wearable that could change IV safety in hospitals

At just 14, Akshath Anand has created a wearable device that could help hospitals detect IV leaks before they cause harm. The award-winning innovation earned national gold and highlights the growing impact of young minds solving real healthcare challenges.Meet Akshath Anand, 14, who built a wearable that could change IV safety in hospitals (LinkedIn/@Akshath Anand)A routine IV drip may seem simple, but when it fails, patients can suffer painful swelling and tissue damage before anyone notices. Instead of accepting that risk, Grade 9 student Akshath Anand set out to find a solution. The result was a smart wearable device that detects IV leaks early, an invention that won him gold at Canada's biggest youth science competition.Akshath, a student at Surrey Academy of Innovative Learning, developed Veino, IV Safety Monitoring System, a wearable device that uses smart pressure sensors to continuously monitor IV lines. If the system detects pressure changes that could indicate an IV leak or displacement, it alerts healthcare workers before visible symptoms such as swelling or bruising appear.The goal is simple but significant: enable nurses to intervene earlier, reduce patient discomfort, and prevent minor complications from becoming serious ones.AN INVENTION WITH REAL-WORLD POTENTIALIntravenous therapy is among the most frequently performed procedures in hospitals, yet IV infiltration and leaks remain a common challenge. Patients can experience pain, tissue irritation, and swelling before the problem is detected, particularly those who are unable to communicate discomfort. Rather than designing a futuristic concept, Akshath focused on solving a practical healthcare problem. His invention could also have applications during procedures such as endoscopies, where pressure monitoring may help clinicians respond more quickly and improve patient care.GOLD ON HIS NATIONAL DEBUTAkshath first qualified for the Canada-Wide Science Fair through the South Fraser Regional Science Fair before taking his project to Edmonton, where he competed against some of the country's brightest young STEM students. His innovation earned him a Gold Excellence Award in the junior category, along with the Challenge Award in Health & Wellness, the Youth Can Innovate Award, and scholarships from the University of Alberta and Western University, an impressive achievement for his first appearance at the national competition.SURREY'S YOUNG INNOVATORS MAKE THEIR MARKSurrey also celebrated another standout performance at the national event, with Sreya Kurup of Frank Hurt Secondary receiving top honours for her research on staph infections and antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the district's growing strength in student-led scientific research.Akshath Anand's achievement is more than a science fair success story. It shows how curiosity, innovation, and a desire to solve everyday problems can lead to solutions with real-world impact.At just 14, he has demonstrated that meaningful advances in healthcare do not always come from established laboratories or seasoned researchers. Sometimes, they begin in a classroom, with a student determined to make patient care safer, one idea at a time.- EndsPublished By: Apoorva AnandPublished On: Aug 8, 2026 08:30 IST