WEEK 7

10/24-10/30

We started this week off with a check in with Dr. Felder, where we talked about the results of our brainstorming session and got feedback on our ideas. He has obtained a 3D printer and some 3D printable biomaterials that we are looking forward to working with that. We decided to stick to a device that sits outside of the abdominal wall to avoid bowel perforations. As a team, we consolidated our many ideas into three main ones we want to continue to explore. Our next goal is to work on making some CAD designs in order to do finite element analysis and 3D printing.

We met again as a team to create some solid drawings on paper that would translate to more sophisticated, computer aided designs. We explored different ways to incorporate modularity and create eversion of the tissue. We are taking inspiration from biology, like the Cholla cactus. A preliminary design was modeled on CAD but we're continuing to explore various ideas. 

We also attended the Sling Health problem day, where we pitched our ideas to various potential team members, including undergrad students and medical students. We think a member with mechanical engineering or business experience would be really helpful. Attendees also asked helpful questions that made us think about a few new components of our design. 

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Next steps are to continue to develop our CAD designs and evaluate merits and drawbacks of our various ideas.