February 9th Forum:
Engineering Medical Devices at MIT

(Followed by Post-Forum Reception Honoring MIT and Boston University Graduate Engineering Medical Device Students, details below)

With the goal of engaging graduate students and accelerating ideas into prototypes, teams of MIT graduate engineering students spend a semester collaborating with clinicians in CIMIT-affiliated hospitals to develop innovative medical devices. Clinicians (physicians, nurses, and scientists) present clinical problems and initial ideas. Students form teams to work with the clinicians to turn these ideas into reality. The goal is for the students to deliver a working prototype and a journal-quality article in one semester. In its sixth year, the course has been a great opportunity for clinicians to test out new ideas and to stimulate new collaborations. Join us for the next three Forums as we learn about the 2009 class projects.

February 9:

Wheelchair Locomotion: Hybrid Lever and Push-Rim Powered Mobility Aid

CLINICIAN: C. KEITH OZAKI, MD, FACS
Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Director, Vascular Surgery Research and Director of Resident Research, Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Read bio.

MIT STUDENT TEAM: ERIC GILBERTSON, BEN POPE, STEFFEN REICHERT AND JON WARD

Many users of traditional wheelchairs develop overuse injuries of the shoulder joint due to repetitive identical loading. This team proposes a wheelchair design that will solve the ergonomic challenges presented, while maintaining the maneuverability of traditional push-rim wheelchairs. By activating the largest muscle groups in the upper body (i.e. pectorals and laterals) strain on the shoulder joint is reduced. The proposed design is a morphing hybrid chair; the user can travel forward over long distances with a push/pull lever-drive system, and switch to a push-rim design when indoors or needing more fine
maneuverability. The most critical modules of the design were prototyped and tested. A full design was also explored and a feature set and 3D CAD geometry are proposed.

Rib Fracture: Articulating Tool for Endoscopic Screw Delivery

CLINICIAN: SURESH AGARWAL, MD
Chief, Section of Critical Care Medicine, and Associate Professor of Surgery, Boston University Medical Center

Read bio.

MIT STUDENT TEAM: DIMITRIS CHATZIGEORGIOU, MICHELLE LUSTRINO, MANAS MENON, JOSEPH PETRZELKA AND CLARA STEFANOV-WAGNER

This team will describe the development of an articulating endoscopic screw driver that can be used to place screws in osteosynthetic plates during thoracoscopic surgery. The device is small enough to be used with a 12 mm trocar sleeve and transmits sufficient torque to fully secure bone screws. An articulating joint enables correct screw alignment at obtuse angles, up to 60° from the tool axis. Students will present a novel articulating joint design, wherein a flexible shaft both transmits torque and actuates the joint; antagonist force is provided by a super-elastic spring. Screws are secured against the driver blade during insertion and with a retention mechanism that can passively release the screw when it has been securely placed in the bone. The prototype has been fitted with a blade compatible with 2.0 and 2.3 mm self-drilling screws, though a different driver blade or drill bit can easily be attached. Efficacy of the tool is demonstrated by securing an osteosynthetic plate to a rib in a mock surgical setup. This tool enables minimally invasive, thoracoscopic rib fixation.

Development of a Low-Cost Mechanical Ventilator

CLINICIAN: JUSSI SAUKKONEN, MD
Director of the Pulmonary Clinics, West Roxbury Veterans Hospital; holds academic appointment at Boston University Medical Center; Associate Program Leader, Inhalation Technology, CIMIT

Read bio.

MIT STUDENT TEAM: ABDUL AL HUSSEINI, HEONJU LEE, JUSTIN NEGRETE, STEPHEN POWELSON AND AMELIA SERVI

This team will discuss the design and prototyping of a low-cost portable mechanical ventilator for use in emergency transport and resource-poor environments. Breaths are delivered using automated bag-valve mask (BVM) compression. Tidal volume and number of breaths per minute are set via three user-friendly input knobs and controlled by an internal microchip. The prototype also features assist control capability and an alarm to indicate over-pressurization of the system.

PLEASE NOTE: Speakers & topics in the distant future can change easily.
Please check this list weekly for updates.

2.16.10

MIT 2.75: Engineering Medical Devices at MIT Student/Physician Team Presentation:

Emergency Call Button
PHYSICIAN: MATTHEW LIANG
BWH

Through the Patient's Eyes
SPEAKER: SUSAN EDMAN-LEVITAN
MGH

At BWH

2.23.10

Robotic Surgery

SPEAKERS: BOB NGUYEN
Children's Hospital

JIM HU
BWH

At BWH

3.2.10

Radiation Optimization
INVITED SPEAKER: MANNUDEEP KALRA
MGH

Minimizing Radiation Exposure in Diagnostic Imaging
SPEAKER: HOMER PIEN
MGH

MODERATOR: JAMES THRALL
MGH

At MGH

3.9.10

New Techniques to Treat TBI

SPEAKERS: MICHAEL HAMBLIN
MGH

FELIPE FREGNI
BIDMC

At MGH

3.16.10

CIMIT Young Clinician Research Award Forum

SPEAKERS: DAN KOHANE
Children's Hospital

ALEXANDRA GOLBY
BWH

JENNIFER ROSEN
Boston Medical Center

ROBERT RIVIELLO
BWH

Forum 4:00pm to 6:00PM
Post-Forum Reception 6:00PM to 8:00PM

At MGH

3.23.10

Technology Implementation in Global Health
SPEAKERS: PATRICIA COFFEY
PATH

CATHERINE LAINE
AIDG

At BWH

3.30.10

Approaches to Assessing Comparative- and Cost-effectiveness of Healthcare Technology

SPEAKERS:
NEIL LINDEMAN
BWH

JAY SCHNITZER
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC

FRED SCHOEN
BWH

MODERATOR: BARBARA MCNEIL
Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School

At BWH

4.6.10

IT Innovation

SPEAKERS:
NATHANIEL SIMS
MGH

JOSEPH KVEDAR
MGH

Harvard IT Clinical Systems Innovation

SPEAKER:
SUE SCHADE
BWH

At MGH

4.13.10

Photodetectors for Medicine

At MGH

4.20.10

Lester Wolfe Workshop

At MGH