We propose a design curriculum that incorporates an innovative combination of clinical, educational, and industrial processes to guide and inspire students to develop design solutions to needs-based clinical problems. This proposal will strengthen a new clinically focused design collaboration between Clemson Bioengineering, Greenville Health System and the University's Office of Technology Transfer. Teams of senior design students will work with clinical collaborators to identify clinical problems and innovative biomedical- device solutions through prototyping, testing, and validating the designs using a novel, industry-relevant design gate methodology. This research education proposal is expected to strengthen the clinical relevance and design-innovation potential of our recently established senior bioengineering design curriculum. Highlights of the proposed research education program are 1) A new clinical immersion + technology transfer program with our clinical and tech. transfer partners, 2) Adoption of new team-based curricula that promotes interactive needs identification, brainstorming, problem solving, and ethical debate within the classroom. 3) First-semester formation of teams and 4) introduction of teams to dedicated clinical + industry-mentor collaborators and healthcare environments to foster needs-based design interaction and innovation. 5) Pairing of all teams with dedicated bioengineering faculty and new Design Advisory Board to support technical, material-, and device- related design needs. 6) Adoption of industry-relevant design gates to guide the progress and academic assessment of all teams and designs. 7) Review of innovative designs led by our new Director of Technology Management, and 8) Launch of an upperclassmen-led (BS/MS Design Fellowship) design finishing course that pairs completed senior design projects with teams of bioengineering juniors, and carries them into a second year of design testing, manufacturing and entrepreneurial development. Expected outcomes: Earlier exposure of students to clinical needs, problems, and environments Expanded curriculum and opportunities for underclassmen and new graduate students to promote active participation in exciting, relevant, clinically based design projects A deeper academic-clinical partnership between Clemson Bioengineering and the Greenville Health System Development of over 75 novel biomedical devices to address the targeted needs of market-driven clinical problems within healthcare environments.
This innovative design curriculum will incorporate a balanced combination of clinical, educational, and industrial processes to guide and inspire students to develop design solutions to needs-based clinical problems. This proposal will strengthen a new clinically focused design collaboration between Clemson Bioengineering, the Greenville Health System and our Tech Transfer Office, and is expected to strengthen the clinical relevance and design-innovation potential of our recently established senior bioengineering design curriculum.
