Team-Based Development of Medical Devices: An Engineering-Business Collaborative

Area of Science:

• Engineering Education
• Medical Device Design
• Innovation and Commercialization

Background:

• Global shift towards multidisciplinary, team-based science and engineering education.
• Need for innovative curricula to meet evolving technical industry demands.
• Focus on medical device design within engineering programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• Describe the development of multidisciplinary, team-based learning environments.
• Focus on undergraduate and graduate engineering curricula for medical device design.
• Enhance innovation and commercialization of student-developed devices.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of team-based learning environments in undergraduate and graduate engineering courses.
• Collaboration between students, clinicians, engineers, and business professionals.
• Development of a Master of Engineering (MEng) program focused on Design and Commercialization.

Main Results:

• Successful production and delivery of functional prototypes by undergraduate teams.
• Generation of intellectual property (IP) disclosures and patents.
• High student learning outcomes and satisfaction in undergraduate design courses.

Conclusions:

• Multidisciplinary, team-based learning effectively prepares students for medical device innovation.
• The MEng program facilitates the transition of innovative ideas from R&D to marketable devices.
• Program outcomes include commercialization, competitive job placement, and career advancement.