ENGI45630: Biotechnology Design Project

• None

• As specified in programme regulations.

• As specified in programme regulations.

• To present the design process for designing medical devices and artificial organs.
• To introduce the regulations required for developing and producing medical devices.
• To explore the analytical and experimental techniques used for producing prototypes.
• To invoke innovation in designing equipment/devices for specific purposes.
• To present an overview of the environmental issues related to the life cycle of medical devices.

• The design process for developing medical/biotec devices.
• Designing with the environment in mind.
• Regulations of designing medical devices.
• Production techniques and materials used in Biotechnology.
• Human-devices interaction.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Awareness of to the historical development of medical/biotec devices.
• A knowledge of the design process used for designing medical/biotec devices.
• An appreciation of the difficulties of modelling physiological problems and limitations of such models.
• A knowledge of trends of using modelling techniques in the field of medical/biotec devices.
• A range of mechanical and electrical/electronic techniques and their interactions in designing biotechnological/medical devices.
• An awareness of challenges associated with designing for medical/biotechnology devices.
• Awareness of future developments in the area of biotechnology.

Subject-specific Skills:

• Ability to use the regulatory affairs in making informed judgements in designing medical/Biotech devices.
• Develop an ability for the students to communicate their designs effectively.
• The ability to evaluate and understand the environmental and societal impact of solutions to broadly defined problems and identify any ethical concerns and make reasoned ethical choices informed by professional codes of conduct.

Key Skills:

• Capacity for independent self-learning within the bounds of professional practice.
• Specialised design skills appropriate to an engineer.
• Ability to critically analyse the patent literature of medical/biotec devices design and formulate informed opinions that contribute to the students designs.

• Biotechnology design is taught through (i) a series of Design Seminars (workshops) on the wider aspects of biotechnological products design as well as their routes to market and design IPR (ii) a group design project which requires the application of advanced analytical knowledge and skills. A part of the project will be devoted to developing plans for launching a specific product to the market and all the relevant finance and marketing aspects of such an endeavour.
• Students will be organised into groups who will then be assigned a tutor team comprised of an academic tutor and an industrial tutor with expertise in the field of biotechnology design and the health sector.
• The Learning Outcomes of this module are assessed through a combination of presentation and two comprehensive written reports (feasibility and a final design report).

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