Year Two - The DeFINE Program: A Clinical and Technology Transfer Immersion Program for Biomedical Needs Identification and Valuation

Abstract

Breanne Przestrzelski is a University Innovation Fellow at Clemson University where she is pursuing her PhD in Bioengineering with a focus on innovation of biomedical devices and translation thereof through immersion of bioengineers in design and entrepreneurship opportunities. The University Innovation Fellows, a program of the Epicenter and co-managed by Stanford University and Venturewell, has inspired Breanne to share her passions through a variety of initiatives she is helping to bring to Upstate South Carolina, one of which is the NIH-and VentureWell-funded DeFINE Program. Breanne obtained her B.S. in May 2012 (research focus: nanomedicine technology) and her M.S. degree in August 2013 (research focus: glenoid loading and stability of the inlay verus onlay shoulder system) both from the Clemson University bioengineering department.Breanne was a four year varsity collegiate athlete, rowing for the Clemson University Women's Rowing Team, where she learned how to foster her team-centered leadership. Breanne moved on to lead her senior design capstone team to a 1st Place finish in the 2012 NCIIA BMEStart Undergraduate Design Competition for the team's innovation: Assurefit-a chest tube stabilization device. Breanne found her drive for innovation and fascination with design during the development of this technology and seeks to equip students with this same drive through experiential learning. . He has worked for over 25 years as a biomechanical research engineer, and has co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed conference or journal publications in the areas of biomechanics, biomaterials tribology, engineering education, biomedical design and mechanical testing. He directs the Laboratory of Orthopaedic Design and Engineering on the main campus of Clemson University, and in his 7 years since joining the bioengineering faculty, he has graduated 4 PhD students and 15 MS students, and has led or has been a co-PI on numerous multi-disciplinary research teams funded through NASA, DoT, DoD, NIH, NSF, the Gates Foundation, biomedical industry and other regional non-profit foundations. He is an active contributor to many professional societies and review panels, including the NSF, VentureWell, the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) where he is currently the Chair of the Student Affairs Committee. He was a recent guest editor with the Annals of Biomedical Engineering, developing a special issue on Design Innovation in Biomedical Engineering, and has been a business and educational program development consultant with the Coulter Foundation, advising NIH NIBIB SBRI awardees in technology translation. Ms. Carson Mackenzie Ida Brewer, Clemson UniversityCarson Brewer is a second year student at Clemson University studying Bioengineering. Through many research opportunities in the department, Carson has led a team to the Limbs Summit in El Paso, Texas where they presented a functioning, 3-D printed, lower arm interface that allowed...

Perspectives on Bioengineering Clinical Immersion: History, Innovation, and Impact

“…Program assessments report participants' ability to understand the patenting, regulatory, and reimbursement processes, ability to identify unmet needs, evaluation of pre/post program career aspirations, engineering design selfefficacy, number of hours spent in the clinic, number of needs identified, number of resulting senior design projects, and understanding of entrepreneurial concepts. 15,[17][18][19]23,28,30,34,38,40 However, most of the outcomes rely on participants' self-reported feedback. While self-reports are valid as a general measure of achievement, self-perceptions of competence may be influenced by factors other than those which are being assessed.…”

“…While a needs-based approach is common, content and implementation varies. 1,2,8,12,15,[17][18][19]21,23,28,30,34,38,40 Program content is scoped to leverage institutional strengths and emphasize selected areas of focus such as technology transfer, commercialization, FDA regulatory considerations, insurance reimbursements, or intellectual property. Further, some programs foster interdisciplinary teamwork among engineering disciplines (undergraduate and graduate), business, nursing, and medical students.…”

Clinical Immersion and Team-Based Design: Into a Third Year

“…2,3,4 Practical aspects including patient care, technology commercialization and healthcare intricacies are also a necessary part of student training to meet health, medical device, and patient needs while also controlling costs. 6,7 A summer experience was developed for Summer Scholars and consisted of an overview of the Stanford Biodesign Process, physiology basics, clinical immersion, intellectual property basics, regulatory basics, business perspectives, and product development best practices. Deliverables included need statements, specifications, and project development plans.…”

Clinical Immersion Program for Bioengineering and Medical Students

“…Closing the gap between the clinical environment and engineering design to ensure a user-centered focus in addressing the underlying problems that physicians, nurses and other stakeholders experience has been a greater priority in biomedical engineering education [5][6][7][8][9][10] in recent years. This paper is a continuation of the progress from the first three years of the Clinical Immersion Program beginning Summer 2014, including changes implemented in Summer 2016 as well as further modifications planned for the 2017 Program [1].…”