Medical Device Reliability

Overview

Ultrasonography is an imaging technique used in a wide range of applications, including echocardiography, doppler sonography, elastography, fetal imaging, abdominal ultrasonography, and hysterosonography, among others. An ultrasound transducer or probe creates digital images and requires cleaning between each use in both invasive and non-invasive applications. The Trophon technology, created by Nanosonics, provides an automated and reliable disinfection mechanism that involves clipping the transducer cable to a disinfectant machine. Our sponsor, Philips Ultrasound, Inc., a medical manufacturer, requires an automated mechanical fixture to test the life cycle of ultrasound probes with respect to repeated clipping and unclipping into the Trophon disinfection devices.

Objectives

-Fully understand the standard cleaning process to ensure the device accurately mimics the movement

-Create a life cycle test fixture that autonomously attaches and detaches specific cables to a Trophon clip with the ability to stop testing after a set number of cycles to analyze the cables

-Ensure the device performs to at least 50,000 cycles for each cable safely and with ease of use

Approach

-In-depth weekly meetings provided complete understanding of the objectives and the needs associated with the device. A site visit provided in-person understanding of the project as well as other reliability devices with various purposes

-After understanding the needs, each member partook in concept generation to determine possible solutions

-SolidWorks modelling was used to design and assemble the generated concepts. SolidWorks also helped with making changes without having to make them physically first

-An official prototyping stage was used to acquire feedback from our sponsor and class, while weekly meetings allowed for unofficial ideas to be presented to our sponsor for feedback

-Motor performance was tested to ensure that there was enough torque to overcome frictional issues

-After assembly, the final prototype was run to ensure that objectives were met, and it ran safely. The only numerical need for the device was the counting, which was tested to accurately update for each cycle

Outcomes

-The project provided an additional method to test the effectiveness of the products manufactured at Philips Ultrasound

-By creating this additional reliability testing method, users can better depend on the ultrasound technology to last

-Specifically for Philips Ultrasound, this project saved our sponsor the time and cost it takes to develop a new in-house product