WEEK 4

10/3-10/9

This week, we met with Dr. Felder to discuss our research on existing solutions and focus in on the specific needs our design might address that current solutions don't. Two members of our team were able to observe one of Dr. Felder's operations to gain a first hand understanding of the issues a surgeon faces during a large abdominal operation. The difficulties in completing the primary closure of the laparotomy were apparent. It was clear that the closure is highly operator dependent. The sutures were time consuming and once placed, were unable to securely hold the wound closed due to the extreme tension. We were able to get a better idea of what our device needs to do and how our device might work anatomically. 

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We then focused on preparing our preliminary report and the preliminary presentation. We completed background research into the problem, identified key stakeholders, and finalized the project scope. We updated the design specifications and summarized our information on existing solutions. We also constructed a Gantt chart to guide our project timeline for the semester.

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In the upcoming week, we will finalize our preliminary presentation and begin the brainstorming process.