CBU engineering team places second at international artificial heart competition

These students went to Japan to compete in the Heart Hackathon: Brendon Mendoza (from left), Jessica Gordon, Logan Bittner, Joshua Lute, Josh Berkebile, Gianna Lawson, Dariel Rueda and Priscilla Amaya. 

Riverside, Calif. (Dec. 9, 2024) – A team of innovative engineering students from California Baptist University has captured international acclaim, securing second place at the second annual Heart Hackathon last month in Japan. 

The Heart Hackathon was created for university students from around the world to consider the future of artificial heart technologies and to work on innovative solutions. Teams applied by submitting the design and a business plan including research, industry data and a strategy that shows product marketability and viability.  

Only nine teams were invited to the competition. The CBU Cardiac Engineering team — made up of all undergraduate students — was the only team from the U.S. 

For Dr. Matthew Rickard, professor of biomedical engineering and the team’s advisor, it’s more than just placing one spot higher. Nearly all the other universities had a research lab and doctorate students on their teams. 

“The competition this year in Japan was significantly higher,” he said. “I'm extremely proud of our students for earning second place.”  

CBU created the team in December 2022. At the first Heart Hackathon competition in 2023, CBU placed third.  

This year, the team initially planned to keep the same design — a peristaltic pump that used rollers to squeeze fluid through a tube in periodic motion. But the tube can cause blood damage and also degrade over time, releasing microplastics into the blood.  

After additional research, the team decided over the summer to go with a tubeless peristaltic pump. That meant they only had a few months to do a lot of testing and problem solving. The 3D-prototype is made of biocompatible resin. 

“It was really stressful. There are so many unforeseen issues that, as you fix this, then this other thing isn't working,” said Joshua Lute, a biomedical engineering senior and team president. “But we really believed in the design, so we stuck with it.”   

Industry experts served as judges for the competition, judging each artificial heart prototype by design, research and business plans. 

Rickard has more than 18 patents, most dealing with devices for the eye, and has created a medical-technology startup company. This additional experience allowed him to provide expertise in the business plan area. 

“I pitch to investors all the time, so I live in that world,” he said. “I was active in helping the students get that together, but they did all the research.” 

Being on the team taught Lute how to think systematically.  

“There are so many things that you have to think about. For instance, we want to make a pump that reduces blood damage. How are we going to do that?” he said. “Then we have to do research on what causes blood damage and what already exists out there. You think of an idea, but then you have to test it.” 

Jessica Gordon, a biomedical engineering junior, worked on materials testing. She was recently named mechanical housing lead, where she will help maintain communication and progress among the mechanical sub-teams. 

Being part of the team has taught her the importance of technical and soft skills. She wants to continue within the medical field. 

“I am highly interested in the cardiovascular industry, materials research and tissue engineering as I continue my academics,” she said. “I look forward to gaining experience in biomedical engineering and continuing to learn through each opportunity.” 

Gianna Lawson, a biomedical engineering junior, led the materials research as the team created composite materials and tested their longevity. She has learned how to assemble things mechanically and how to write and create large scientific reports.  

“Having this hands-on experience with realistic and timely deadlines is crucial for any work environment in the future as well as the collaboration of others. This team has set me up for success in the work field,” she said. 

Lawson wants to stay in the cardiovascular field. 

“Throughout this process, I have had extensive clarity on what I have a driving passion for and what I want to help advance with my career and studies,” she said. 

Lute is considering earning a Ph.D. The advisor of the winning team from the University of Bath in the U.K., asked if he wanted to go there for his graduate studies.  

“Cardiac engineering gave me an appreciation for business and entrepreneurship,” he said. 

When Lute joined the Cardiac Engineering team two years ago, he admits he thought it would be boring. Then he discovered how “cool” the field is. 

“It's definitely something that I'm interested in, and I could see myself working on hearts. It's opened my horizons,” he said.