Vineet Edupuganti, a senior at Oregon Episcopal School, won the $100,000 top individual award in the prestigious Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology for developing an ingestible battery that could transform the way doctors diagnose and monitor health problems deep in the body.

Edupuganti is advised and mentored by Portland State physics professor Raj Solanki, a specialist in microelectronic device fabrication.

Edupuganti's invention, which he calls a "high-performance biodegradable battery for transient electronics," wowwed the judges at the nation's top high school science contest. David Crouse, chairman of electrical and computer engineering at Clarkson University, said his work "doesn't just incrementally improve upon current capabilities - it represents a truly transforming step in creating a device that is both degradable and compatible with the body."

Coincidentally, another Portland-area teen recently won a grand prize for developing a breakthrough safe and inexpensive micro device to help with important health challenges. Beaverton seventh-grader Anushka Naiknaware, 13, won a $15,000 scholarship from Google for her bandage that measures moisture levels with teeny tiny monitors to let medical workers "see" the condition of the dressing.

Vineet Edupuganti, a senior at Oregon Episcopal School, has been entering and winning science contests since sixth grade. This week he won the biggest yet: Top individual award at the Seimens science contest and the $100,000 prize.

Edupuganti's work, which netted him the $100,000 scholarship, could simplify how medical practitioners diagnose conditions that affect internal organs, such as gastrointestinal disorders, that currently require complex imaging or invasive procedures to diagnose. His biodegradable battery powers ingestible medical devices, then dissolves after the device has served its purpose. That means even very sick people can swallow it without risk to their health.

"This is very important technology, as implantable biocompatible devices play an increasingly important role in the future of medicine, as well as in environmental sensing with devices that themselves do not pollute the environment they are sensing," Crouse explained in a statement. "But current technology in this area is unreliable and poor performing."

"What was also remarkable about Vineet's work was his comprehensive approach to single-minded tackling of the problem of biodegradable batteries: Not only did he come up with the idea, he chose the materials, conducted the research, and then engineered a practical and cost-effective device," Crouse said. "Through this project, he exhibited the entire spectrum of skills, from innovation, through science, to engineering - and this impressed the judges greatly."

Edupuganti said his choice of alloy, and his ability to fast-track the testing of various versions of his device, allowed him to make such big strides.

"Biodegradable electronics is definitely an emerging area, and there is some incredibly fascinating research currently going on at various institutions," he said. "I chose to explore the use of a magnesium alloy, AZ31, in biodegradable batteries, which increased performance significantly. I also developed a computer model for the device, which allows one to gauge device behavior without the need for extensive experimental testing.

The high schooler said Solanki, the Portland state microelectronics expert, provided invaluable facilities, equipment and guidance. "Without his support, my project would not have been possible," he said.

The Spanish-speaking piano-playing high school senior would like to find real-world applications for research that he can eventually take to market. He is fascinated by the newly-emerging field of biodegradable electronics because he sees its potential to affect change in a wide array of industries,

Edupuganti won a third place grand award at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2015 and 2016. He plays classical piano, guitar and tennis. He is also a huge Blazers fan and plans to use his scholarship to study materials science or electrical engineering. But he is still in the midst of his college search and has no idea which college he may end up attending, he said.

He said the strength of Oregon Episcopal School's science research program, in which he has participated since sixth grade, helped propel him to success, as has the encouragement of all his teachers and his parents. The research program, in particular, "gave me the necessary tools to explore and conduct research in depth, while also teaching me how to better convey my work in a variety of ways," he said.

This post has been updated to include content from our interview with Edupuganti, conducted just before he caught a flight home from Washington, D.C., where he received his prize.

-- Betsy Hammond