Student designs engineered to help others

team of students from the Department of Biomedical Engineering took third place in the 2002 National Industries for the Severely Handicapped Workplace Technology Scholarship Program for their solution to a biomedical engineering problem.

As part of the department's Senior Design class, Scott Hanford '02, Johny Lopez '02, Kadie Simon '02, and Charles Welliver '02 created a prototype of an Operator Controlled Storable Desk, designed for a Rochester resident with limited use of his hands who needed a desk to use with his power wheelchair. By pushing a button, the user is able to deploy the desk and to return it to its storage position on the side of the chair.

The student's design, judged according to academic application of technology as well as other factors such as cost and ease of use, earned a $1,000 scholarship for the group and a $1,000 grant for the biomedical engineering department.

Students of this year's Senior Design class, taught by Amy Lerner, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, have developed prototypes ranging from an extending arm designed to assist a child with quadriplegia to a new drug delivery system for treatment of asthma. The public is invited to view a demonstration of several projects on Monday, May 12, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Flaum Atrium of the Arthur Kornberg Medical Research Building.

"Our students have spent the last seven months working on projects to solve some very interesting and challenging problems in biomedical engineering," says Lerner. "Their projects include research instruments, designs to aid those with disabilities, and medical devices for use in a clinical setting."

For more details, visit www.courses.rochester.edu/lerner/BME296.

Maintained by University Public Relations
Please send your comments and suggestions to:
Public Relations.