Author: alschibani
Final thoughts…
The video presentations today were all very well executed. I learned a lot from the other groups’ presentations as well as our own. The same goes for the feedback. Having the reviewers analyze our project and storyboard was great, but it was even more helpful and engaging to witness the feedback that other teams received. Likewise, the flow of ideas and design process that each individual team demonstrated was collectively advantageous for further projects.
Looking back on our team’s video presentation and the feedback we received, it is clear that our design process did not incorporate enough of the personal element. Seeing as our design must be extremely end-user compatible, it would have been advantageous to seek more RA patients for their thoughts, comments, and overall background experiences. This would have provided us with a better perspective before prototyping, and it would have allowed us to better replicate the type of technical device we envisioned. Seeing as the idea for the clinical need did originate from my girlfriend’s mother, an RA patient, it would have been a good idea to include her thoughts, personal story, biases, and personal experiences into our design process. Though an in-person interview would have been difficult due to distance, we should have at least arranged a phone call or Facetime call. Either way, we could have also to tried to poll and question patients from the RA clinic here at UVA.
So now what? Should our group move into Capstone with this project? If we choose to do so, we already have a lead start as Dr. Allen mentioned in class today. Essentially, the three of us are going to have to decide whether or not our idea is worth pursuing and whether a viable product lies at the end of the tunnel. It is going to be difficult to decide, but because we are all interested in the clinical need and we have all invested long hours into drafting needs statements, constructing prototypes, and collaborating on a video presentation, this project would transition favorably well into our Capstone plans. Personally, I enjoyed working alongside Trey and Tom and would definitely be interested in working with both of them in Capstone, either on this clinical need/device or on a similar area. Ultimately, I think our idea could foster strong promises.
Thank you
–Albert Schibani
Making the Video
The video constituted a refreshing change to the typical end of course final presentation. Filming the video was enjoyable and it allowed Trey, Tom, and I to really think about the clinical problem, our device, and the implications behind designing the device. For our presentation, we decided to entertain different techniques and style to convey the message. We mostly used white-boarding combined with voice-over for the introduction and background on Rheumatoid Arthritis. This allowed us to draw certain diagrams to explain the physiological intricacies which inspired our bio-design. To address the needs statements, we wanted to added a personal element, so we had Tom introduce them on camera. Additionally, we thought it was best to show each iteration of our design up close, so that the audience had a chance to visualize the progression of the design. These iteration views gave insight into the flaws of the glove, what should be improved upon, and its positive features. Dr. Pudhorodsky, the rheumatologist who our team interviewed, gave us invaluable advice and feedback on our design, some of which is included in the video presentation. This feedback helped us construct the final iteration. But more importantly, his feedback gave us some considerations to think about, should our team continue to pursue an effort towards designing the device in Capstone or another class. Finally, we filmed a demonstration of the device on Trey “sleeping”; this was done because we thought the proper setting, being asleep in bed, would support the viability and validity of the product. Furthermore, this seemed to adequately convey its full functionality. Our presentation culminates with a critique on the device, which lists some improvements and limitations to consider. Again and for what it is worth, I appreciated the filming the video, as it was a new and interesting experience.
–Albert Schibani
Getting to the first prototype
Much thought and deliberation occurred between Trey, Tom, and I before reaching the first prototype. When selecting our project initially, I think we all wanted to develop a tangible device that would solve a clinical problem. So, we all had similar motivations from the beginning, which made selecting our clinical need area much smoother than initially anticipated. With careful consideration, we narrowed our topic down to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Cerebral Palsy. We ended up choosing RA, because we could better envision a solution to the debilitating pain and morning stiffness intrinsic to RA. We wanted to devise a way to reduce the morning stiffness experienced by all age groups. After identifying our clinical needs and criteria, we determined that the most significant need would be a need for our design to keep the digits of the hand in frequent motion throughout the night.
Upon finalizing our objective needs for the design, we met with a RA physician named Dr. Pudhorodsky. Dr. Pudhorodsky shared with us some information and background knowledge about RA, its symptoms, and what he thought the future treatment/cure of RA would be. Being a moderate RA sufferer himself, he was able to provide additional insight into the struggles and daily difficulties associated with the disease from a first-hand and personal perspective. We ran our idea by him for a glove that would maintain hand motion at night in order to reduce joint stiffness in the morning. He said, “It could work!”, which we interpreted as a validation to continue with the design idea we had fabricated.
With feedback from Dr. Pudhorodsky, we were able to sit down and generate some preliminary design sketches. Among our sketches, we explored design methods to maintain hand motion with stings, magnets, water, air, motors, and pumps. We concluded on a design that incorporated a motor and strings. We reasoned that the motor could pull on strings attached to the digits of the hand; the fingers could be backed by semi-rigid plastic strips that would elastically return the fingers and thumb from a flexed position to an extended position.
And from this, construction of our first prototype began……
-Albert Schibani
PHP Review by Debbie & Albert
After completing the first portion of the Personal Health Project, I realized that my goal of getting stronger isn’t exactly specific. I know I improved upon it by changing it to being able to do a pull up, but I still don’t feel as if this is correct. I think the ability to do a pull up is a physiological goal; and I’m not sure that this one weight bearing exercise is really that pertinent to the concept of health. I think that is why I suggested Albert study/intervene/understand my ventures into mindfulness in the next PHP component. As part of a 2 credit class I am taking, I am aiming to practice mindfulness at least 30 minutes a day, increasing to 1 hour per day by the end of the 8 week course. I have struggled to find the time and have been hesitant to practice mindfulness when I am inundated with assignments as stress can be the motivator to get tasks done.
Setting my first PHP towards acquiring a physique for Spring Break was a somewhat daunting task, and from a goal-oriented perspective it seemed a bit to general. Debbie instructed me to maintain a log of my lifting progress, aerobic activities, and she also had me measure my baseline levels of body fat and weight. Utilizing these techniques, my goal shifted from a qualitative desire into a tangible and quantitative objective. On several occasions, I fell victim to lethargy but Debbie’s persistent texts and measurements she had me log daily created a sort of empowering motivation to go to the gym. That being said, my next PHP goal that I have asked Debbie’s help with is watching TV. I’d like to cut down on the amount of TV I watch (aside from college hoops), in order to free-up gym-time and sleeping time in my schedule.
After Albert’s wonderful data visualization for the PHP part I presentation, I think I have lots to learn from him.
We’re still working to figure out what the implications of Albert’s new goal, to decrease the time watching TV, will be. I hope to gather data on how much TV he watches, on what platform, the dates/times I intervene, and the things he wishes he had done with the time he spent watching TV. In a way I am encouraging him to practice mindfulness, in that by having him reflect on the potential better usages of his time he may be more mindful of his time. This data collection will then act as an intervention in itself!
Initially, I have some ideas to assist with Debbie’s mindfulness goals. I would like to track her time spent meditating each day and the number of hours of sleep she gets that evening. Probing her for more information, I was able to discern her interests in mindfulness as a method of stress relief. Therefore, I have asked Debbie to track her overall mood via a simple survey (scale from 1 to 5) in her daily data log. As I begin to analyze Debbie’s meditation goals, I may have her employ different methods to help her reach her mindfulness goals. I look forward to this second PHP project and working alongside my new motivational partner Debbie.
We hope to work with each other more, through increased contacts via text or face-to-face meetings in order to get a deeper understanding of these PHP targeted health goals.
Debbie and Albert the PHP team to beat
First Post
Hello Everybody,
Happy Snow Day! My name is Albert Schibani and I am a Third-Year BME from Northern Virginia, and more specifically Annandale, VA. I am also your BMES Third-Year Representative, so please contact me about the organization – questions, concerns, or suggestions are always welcome. I would like to organize IM teams through BMES this semester based on overall interest, so stay tuned for updates.
I am excited for this class and I am looking forward to the combination of clinical shadowing and innovative product design that I have the opportunity to experience. I intend to go into industry upon graduation and would like to enter the field of medical device design. I see this class as the perfect chance to build a portfolio of product designs as well as learn new techniques and enhance the skills I obtained in Design & Discovery. In addition, I wanted to gain experience with SOLIDWORKS, the industry standard in CAD, so that I could become more marketable as a biomedical engineer. A patented design would be really cool and the optimum outcome of this course, but personally I would be content with getting a lead, or at least some ideas, for my Capstone Project. I look forward to working with you all.
Thanks,
Albert Schibani
BME Design 