Overview of the Week
This week was a good, productive week. We started off going on a hike, and then I got to do some hands on work at my internship!
Hiking Uo Costa Rica
On Sunday this week, we went to Hacienda y Beneficio La Chimba, a location with activities of all kinds, ranging from hiking, coffee tours, to zip-lining. We arrived at 8am ready for a casual walk around, but realized we were in for surprise when the guides recommended that we get a stick to help with our hike. The trail was a combination of dirt, mud, sand, and concrete, and included several trips up and down the mountain.
Trails at La Chimba
The views of the country were beautiful, as we looked out from the trail at the houses and nature of Santa Ana. Along the trail, there were several art pieces that we stopped to take pictures at which served as milestones for us as we hiked.
Art Pieces at La Chimba
The trip, although more intense than we expected, turned out to be a great experience and I enjoyed it very much.
Working in the Lab
At work this week, I continued my research on meats that resemble human breast tissue (see last weeks post for more details). We are hoping that once we order the necessary equipment, we can test our modified implants to get a qualitative idea of the feasibility of the project.
Breast implant deployment
Motiva breast implant
For my other project, we had the opportunity to carry out testing of breast implant deployment. This was a very fun experience as I was able to learn more about lab work at a company and do hands-on testing myself. I was actually quite surprised at the force needed to deploy the implant, and I can’t imagine doing that with a patient in front of me! It was also interesting to see how implants react by looking at any deformation or damage caused to the implant.
On this same project, we began the process of finding materials that we could potentially use to make prototypes of our brainstormed ideas. We did decide though that before getting too far into production, we should research more about what devices are on the market and what patents could impact the execution of our ideas. For this reason, we will be working closely with the design team to determine the top 4-5 ideas, and then with the legal team to make sure we are not infringing any patents. I am very excited to see this project progress and one of our ideas coming to life. One thing about this internship that I have greatly enjoyed is that I have had the chance to see how many different areas of the company work and I will be able to work with many departments along the way.
Also, today I attended the monthly RDI meeting where I was able to meet the rest of the team and learn more about some of the (almost 100) projects the team is currently working on!
The Calm Before the Storm
In other news, there is a big tropical storm set to hit Costa Rica this weekend. It does not look like it will have a big impact on the region we are in, but locals have said that the weather can be unpredictable. We made sure to get our groceries and have everything we need here in case we are not able to go out due to rain or other circumstances. I did my laundry today and took a picture of the sky looking so calm, something very different to what I have come to be used to here in Costa Rica.
Outside view on Friday night
Going Forward
This week, I will likely be doing more work in the lab and getting experience writing documents over lab techniques and a report for a technical study in addition to our meetings with the design and legal teams. I look forward to updating you on everything that goes on. Talk to y’all next week 🙂