Tulane University Dave Rice Workshop on BME Teaching of Innovation, Design & Entrepreneurship

Freshman level course The Field –What is Biomedical Engineering, “Do I want to be a biomedical engineer?” The People –Faculty members: their teaching and research –Fellow students; working in teams Design –Problem identification, Brainstorming, Constraints, improving ideas, Sketches, prototype construction, testing: ‘Egg Noggen’ -- helmet for a raw egg Tulane University BMEN102 Elements of BME Design

Two semester course, senior year Teams of 4 students meet with real clients with disabilities –Together they identify the problems and the students work on a design for a custom tailored device or process Guest speakers on living with disability Design process/Project management Faculty review of proposals and prototypes Public Show and device delivery External funding support Optionally coupled to a ‘service learning’ course Tulane University BMEN Team Design Projects

Individual research or design projects Faculty or other professional advisor Junior year: –Fall: research/design project identification –Spring: project initiation; write thesis introduction, methods Senior year: –Fall: project completion; written thesis –Spring (Jan): 1-day research conference for project presentations; abstract booklet ‘published’ Professionalism tools and rules: professional communication; scientific writing; professional licensure Tulane University BMEN Research and Professional Practice

Describe particularly novel and/or effective methods you use to teach innovation & entrepreneurship Research –Early exposure –Required participation in a year-long project Experimental design and hypothesis testing throughout curriculum (BMEN 102, 201, 212…) Design and evaluation integrated throughout curriculum –Required participation in a year-long team design project Quantitative Medical physiology; ‘Bridge’ Courses –Bioelectronics; Biomechanics; Biomaterials; Bioelectricity; Cell and Tissue Engineering Professionalism and professional skills Tulane University

How do you measure outcomes? Coursework, writing, and tests Objective measures on first team project Objective measures on last team project along with self-assessment, faculty monitoring of progress, lay and technical judges at public showing, special evaluation of team projects in client hands Ability to present selves and work in research forum Feedback from alumni, department board members, and others Tulane University

Describe a course project or exercise that exemplifies “best practices” Patient transfer lift—bed to wheelchair and back –uses winch for lifting and rotational or circular path for translation –function and operation understandable by lay user or other caregivers –modular design –off the shelf components –minimum first and operational costs –provides independence to user –reduces caregiver cost Tulane University