Designing a New Drug Delivery Device An application of “design & build” principles Betsy Ameen and Chris Lundberg

New Advances Where do ideas come from? How do you know if an idea is good (or not)? How do engineers develop and test their ideas?

Why Design & Build? It’s fun! It applies science to YOUR daily life New advances are unique; we remember the strange and different… … so we can tie methods of inquiry and design to the study of biotech advances.

Designing a New Medical Device Think how the scientific method and then “design & build” relates to the process of invention

Science and Technology: A convergence of Life Sciences Nanotechnology BiotechnologyAdv. Materials & Production

Va Biotech Park

Two Local Chesterfield Students – The Epicard Formed their own company – Intelliject Evan & Eric Edwards, founders

VCU Engineering The DaVinci Center

How do New Inventions Happen? Close observation Sheer dumb luck – timing Motivation -- $ ? Search for an answer to a problem Creative approaches and strategies By asking, “what if?” and Brainstorming Using “models” … followed by a period of testing or scientific analysis.

The Engineer’s Design Process Identify the Problem Brainstorm Design Build – Test – Evaluate – Redesign Share Solution

Inventions: are PRODUCTS we create which are… Unusual Appropriate for a job Transformed from something else Condensed (refined after testing)

Finding Your Problem Make a “bug list” of things that bother you… What “bugs” you? What can you improve? Pills too large? Unwieldy or impractical devices? Invasive or painful? Expensive medications? You can come up with an idea from your bug list!

More Ways to Develop Ideas Combine Opposites! What is exactly opposite to my idea that I could somehow combine with it? IdeaOpposite

And More Invention Ideas! Use the SCAMPER Method: For my idea, what can I …. Substitute Combine Adapt Modify – Magnify – “Minify” Put to other Uses Reverse or Rearrange … to make it WORK! Photo credit: lbl.gov

The Process of Invention and Science An idea (or problem) = hypothesis Develop a “bug” list = observe/describe Build/design = testing “Back to the drawing board” = rethink hypothesis and try a new variable Establish criteria to evaluate = analysis of results Will the public buy it? = conclusion

Your Task in this Session: Design a new medical device that will solve a problem (or improve upon an existing solution) Create a prototype of your design that will model what it will look like and how it will work Share your creations with the class!

Once begun is half-done! “If I have a thousand ideas a year, and only one turns out to be good, I’m satisfied.” Alfred Nobel