Medical Device Prototyping

In the course Medical Device Design students develop and produce a sustainable solution to a problem in the medical field in collaboration with their supervisor, clinicians, technical support and sometimes even manufacturing companies. The course offers students to work on a design assignment that encompasses the complete design cycle from problem analysis, development to actual production of the prototype with the support of professionals in the field like Surgeons, researchers and professional instrument makers.

Students will select a design assignment from a number of options proposed by healthcare workers/clinicians (e.g. surgeons, rehabilitation doctors) or companies. The projects range from instrument design to sensor development or tools/devices that improve the technical processes around instrument handling or surgical procedures or training. The students work in groups of 4 students under close supervision of a technical or clinical instructor on the assignment, to end up with a working prototype. The course ends with a mandatory public presentation for a jury of Engineers, clinicians and companies representatives and is finalised with a report.

In 3 bi-weekly progress meetings of the instructors with all participating groups, students are expected to present and discuss the progress in their project in a professional setting: presentation 1, background problem and research goal, Presentation 2, Methods and concepts, presentation 3 prototype and test plan.

During the final Event given at the location of GreenCycl or Technical University Delft, the groups are asked to present their work in a single slide Poster format in front of their peers and the jury. Finally, a full report is uploaded 4 weeks after the final event.