Students and recent grads from the University of Rochester Biomed Engineering Dept have just won a national design competition for creating a better interface for an infusion pump:
Teams worked within a budget of $2,000, and the new device would address challenges of timing and dosage accuracy associated with the use of infusion pumps and blindness, deafness, and limited dexterity. To make this challenge more realistic, teams were to design their devices for a list of hypothetical clients, each with personal histories and preferences…
The team studied existing hospital infusion pumps and envisioned system changes. They designed both visual and audio signals to meet user-profile requirements, and redesigned workings to fit into a small portable box. The students found it challenging to work at the speed required to have a functional prototype ready by deadline.
The winning device, from the Inf-U-Tech team, is crammed with technology and smart design:
Accessibility features include a liquid crystal display ( LCD ) monitor, vibration, an optical encoder, voice command, light-emitting diode ( LED ) technology, radio frequency identification ( RFID ), and a revised menu system…
To make pump use easier and more reliable at home, the Inf-U-Tech team designed a wristband-located chip that identifies the user. The wristband chip checks in with a cartridge at the pump, confirming specific drug and user information. The team designed prompts and a variety of safeguards into the system.
We at Medgadget are not above pointing out amusing last names, since some of us are in that club, too. And when a funny-named individual hails from Mocksville, well, that’s just asking for it. We’re referring, of course, to team member Joseph Lust:
The team identified Lust as the brainchild for circuitry, optics, and instrumentation. “The project turned out to be much more complicated than any of us envisioned. Around every corner was another layer of complexity, just like with any medical device,” said Lust.
We identified Lust as a significant motivational force in many of our projects, as well.
More on the winning design from Inf-U-Tech…