Where Smaller is Better
Level - UndergradRecent technological advances in technology have made it possible to miniaturize numerous medical devices that used to be bulky and only available in clinical settings. Examples include portable detection tests such as home pregnancy tests, portable monitoring devices such as blood-sugar monitoring devices for diabetic patients, portable defibrillators, and portable analysis devices such as portable ultrasound machines. These portable medical devices are attractive because more people can use them in the convenience of their homes, in remote areas far away from hospitals, in battlefields, and in the absence of hospital technologists. Therefore, in response to this growing market, companies manufacturing medical devices currently used in hospitals are interested in either making these devices portable or developing new ones that can fulfill the same functions and are portable.
A medical device manufacturer has hired you to identify and redesign a medical device for paramedics responding to emergency situations. Your job is to:
1) Identify a device that can be made portable which means weighing 25 kg or less.
2) Justify why a portable version of this device is desirable.
3) Describe the basic biological and engineering principles that underlie the operation of this device.
4) Propose a detailed prototype design for the device, detailing the major technical barriers for making it portable.