We’re halfway through the semester! The past month has kept me busy with implementation projects, sprints, design projects, and so much more.
The Sprint format for this semester has been really beneficial for my project, MilkyWaves. I’ve benefitted a lot from having Chandler and Karlee’s help during my Sprint weeks, and we’ve been able to make a lot of meaningful progress so far. I’ve run 2 sprints so far this semester, and both have been focused on building and improving my prototype while also getting clinical trial paperwork in order. So far, we have succeeded at getting the device to control the heating pad and display temperature data to the user. The next steps will be to fabricate a PCB and create housing to hold all of these structures. I hope to have this accomplished before our trip to Costa Rica in early April so that we can show our collaborators the device and get their feedback on it.
Our design team has run into some unexpected roadblocks this semester. Unfortunately, after some deeper research we found that a competitor has already created the device we envisioned for ROP. As a result, we’ve decided to pivot and search for a new need to focus on this semester. So far, we haven’t been able to find the perfect need to focus on, but we are optimistic that we will find the right one in the coming weeks! Though this process has been a little frustrating at times, it’s also been an opportunity to learn and adapt. Situations like this are really common in the medical device development, and it’s a part of the process that we must learn how to adjust to.
Overall, I’m excited about the progress we’ve made and I can’t wait to have some kind of finalized product for MilkyWaves in the coming weeks. It’s been really awesome to see things finally taking shape this semester, and I’ve been learning so much. I’m ready to keep going strong all the way through to the end of the semester!