'It works by just flicking a switch': Bed bugs to stop biting after Limerick student’s invention

A LIMERICK second level student is waiting on a patent after devised an effetivec treatment that she hopes will aid the fight against bed-bugs.

Desmond College, Newcastle West student Sophie Keane invented her own product after attending the 2023 Olympics in Paris.

Now she has walked away with the Best Product Award at the seventh annual BD STEM Stars event held at the Limerick site of one of the largest med-tech companies in the world, BD. 

Meanwhile, Villiers School students Sarah Lehane and Oluwatobi Ipadeola claimed the ‘Best Demonstration’ prize with their Carpal Tunnel prevention glove ‘Flexicare.’

READ MORE: 'Learning belongs to everyone': Limerick festival inspires people to explore lifelong education

The Desmond College entry is a device that draws in and traps bedbugs by mimicking the human heartbeat and human temperatures in a bedroom. Such is its efficacy that the young inventor has already applied for a patent for the product.  

Speaking at the event, she recalled getting the idea for the device.

“What this is,” she explained, “is an effective medical solution for bed bug removal. It's not a nice topic to be talking about and does make your skin crawl, but it's really personal to me. I had a run in with bed bugs a few years ago in the Olympics when I was in Paris with family. Our hotel was just ridden with bed bugs.

“So, I started my research into the side effects associated with bedbugs because even for immunocompromised or older people, they can send you into hospital due to anaphylaxis, allergic reactions and they can cause your skin to flare up. They can also trigger insomnia, anxiety, depression, PTSD. So, they're really something you don't want in your house.”

Sophie built what she described as an advanced version of a glue trap.

“It has human-like features in that it replicates a heartbeat through a simple circuit, and it also has our body temperature through these brass rod inserts. And it works by just flicking a switch.

“You can leave it in a room after heating the brass rods on a radiator or just hot water. And you can leave it there overnight, or half an hour, basically however long you feel the need to based on your infestation.”

The device is already proving a hit with consumers. “An Airbnb host reached out to me. She was suffering with bed bugs and she used my device compared to a normal glue trap and she saw that my results were triple and quadruple the amount that people were achieving using common methods.”

Sophie is now waiting on her patent. “It's pending at the moment. And after that I want to develop different prototypes for my project. Maybe ones that can be stationary and plugged in, ones for commercial use in airplanes and trains and hotels.”

Held at the BD RCI site at the National Technology Park, Limerick, the seventh annual BD STEM Stars awards were presented by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD.

Approximately 60 students and teachers were involved in 16 shortlisted projects from counties Limerick, Clare, Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary attended the event.

Launched in 2019 and supported by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB), BD STEM Stars challenges students to devise solutions that positively impact delivery of healthcare — reflecting BD’s global purpose of advancing the world of healt. The programme aligns closely with Ireland’s national STEM Education Policy, which was introduced in 2017 and has been strengthened over the past decade to encourage greater participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.

Addressing students and teachers from schools that made the finals, Minister James Lawless said:

“The BD STEM Stars competition is an outstanding example of how industry and education can work together to inspire the next generation of innovators. Over the past decade, Government has prioritised the promotion of STEM subjects to ensure Ireland continues to build the skills base required for a modern, innovation-driven economy.

“Initiatives like this bring STEM to life for students, showing them how their ideas can have real-world impact, particularly in areas such as healthcare. They also ultimately help underpin the huge STEM related industry in Ireland through indigenous and FDI companies. I commend BD Research Centre Ireland for its leadership and continued investment in nurturing future talent.  It is a best-case example of industry’s commitment to promoting the sector here.”

BD Research Centre Ireland Site Lead Owen O’Neill added: “We never ceased to be amazed by the desire, the commitment and the application of the students who enter this competition to have an impact on the world of STEM. Our mission in BD is all about advancing the world of health and we apply ourselves to that daily here in our Research Centre in Limerick, so to have students coming in here with that intent and with the quality of projects that they have built is hugely encouraging for the future.

“We are honoured also today to have Minister Lawless attend the STEM Stars final. His presence underscores the importance of sustained collaboration between Government, educators and industry in building Ireland’s future STEM capability. Advancing the world of health starts with investing in people. Through STEM Stars, we are encouraging students to see themselves as future engineers, scientists and technologists — the very people who will drive the next wave of healthcare innovation.”

BD STEM Stars organiser Fionnagh Tsang said the standard of entries continues to rise each year. “Year after year, we are inspired by the creativity, research and problem-solving demonstrated by students. The vision set out in Ireland’s STEM Education Policy, which is all about young people and their ability to innovate, is clearly being realised. The projects we see today give enormous confidence in Ireland’s ability to remain at the forefront of global healthcare innovation,” she said.

Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board Director of Schools and Youth, Donncha O’Treasaigh  concluded:

“Limerick and Clare ETB is proud to support BD STEM Stars, which has become a cornerstone of the STEM landscape in Munster. The continued growth of the competition demonstrates the value of strong partnerships between education and industry. Together, we are helping students to see clear pathways from the classroom to exciting, impactful careers in STEM.”