R&D Co-op Synthetics Franchise at Davol Inc.

Davol Inc. consists of several different franchises. Each franchise designs new products from the ground up and carries them through to production.

The focus of this job was what you see to the left, a hernia patch deployment system. Due to privacy issues samples of work from this co-op may not be posted.

Background:

I worked with team of engineers on a deployment system for a hernia patch. This system functions as a way to allow expansion of the mesh patch after it is inserted into a patient via laparoscopic surgery. The issue with a patch alone was that surgeons struggled to "unroll" the mesh, and thus a device to facilitate the unrolling was created. This was a new generation of an existing product line.

Summary:

The system consisted of a wire (shown in green) being held in a distinct form and anchored via suture to a mesh patch. I was responsible for testing all components except the mesh itself, which was a known product and a constant during this design.

Examples:

• Using various machines, tested and recorded data for wire strength and flexibility, connector strength and placement, overall frame shape, and many other variables.
• Developed a test method to assess the pull-out force for removing the frame from the mesh.
• Properly documented all data, and analyzed it via excel.
• Assisted with lab procedures during pig labs collecting feedback from surgeons.

Process:

Data collection was done primarily through devices attached to an instron machine of which I gained much experience with. Data logging was done both electronically and by hand, and documented appropriately. I was also tasked with developing test methods for certain variables.

Other responsibilities included working with different members of the team doing various hands on tasks that included the use of laser cutters and die cutting machines, as well as accompanying and organizing the procedure for lab testing using live pigs as well as cadavers.