Archive from the Fall 2001 semester.
I have a question! What does SWAGE mean?
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In order to protect surgeons and staff members from accidental needle sticks due to a suturing device, a sterilized, disarming suture needle must be developed that allows a safe, reversible action when placed into underlying bodily tissue. The device must encompass all features of sharpness, stiffness, maneuverability, and size/shape variance as a conventional needle, with the added safety of needle retractions.
We built PVC prototypes of all our designs and used them to choose a final design--the "JABE 200." We gave our final presentation and handed in our paper.
See pictures of our prototyping process
Dates listed are the Wednesday of every week. They correspond to the progress reports listed above.
|
Week
|
Date
|
In-Class Activities
|
Out of Class Activities
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Sep 5
|
select project, assign team roles
|
email client
|
|
2
|
Sep 12
|
CLASS CANCELLED
|
meet with advisor
|
|
3
|
Sep 19
|
discuss research results, begin writing problem design
specifications (PDS) and problem statement
|
continue researching
|
|
4
|
Sep 26
|
discuss research, compile customer questions, prepare
project schedule
|
continue researching, meet with client
|
|
5
|
Oct 3
|
revise PDS and project schedule, set meeting time for
brainstorming session, discuss presentation
|
meet for brainstorming session, meet with client, begin
writing report
|
|
6
|
Oct 10
|
peer review of reports, presentation planning
|
work on presentation
|
|
7
|
Oct 17
|
MIDTERM PRESENTATION
|
work on design concepts and presentation
|
|
8
|
Oct 24
|
select final design concept
|
begin developing final desing
|
|
9
|
Oct 31
|
discuss final design, make prototype plans
|
document design
|
|
10
|
Nov 7
|
ethics discussion, work on final design
|
obtain prototype materials
|
|
11
|
Nov 14
|
prototype/design work, assign individual tasks for over
break
|
begin constructing prototype
|
|
12
|
Nov 21
|
THANKSGIVING
|
research/work individually
|
|
13
|
Nov 28
|
plan final presentation, finish prototype
|
complete and test prototype
|
|
14
|
Dec 5
|
discuss test results, complete presentation
|
practice final presentation
|
|
15
|
Dec 12
|
FINAL PRESENTATION
|
prepare for meeting with advisors
|
|
16
|
Dec 17-21
|
---
|
MEET WITH ADVISORS
|
Contact the entire group.
Contact individual team members (and see what they looked like when they first started design).
 |
 |
|
Briar Duffy, Communications |
Angela Heppner, Team Leader |
 |
 |
|
Elizabeth Nee, BWIG |
Jeffrey Phillips, BSAC |
Contact our client, Dr. Victor Haughton.
Contact our advisor, Mitch Tyler.
Questions? Problems? Fan mail? Send it to our webmistress.
Basically, "swage" is a fancy term for the eye of the needle. It is the point where the suture thread is attached to the needle. We thought it sounded cool yet mysterious, so we have adopted it as our team name. Alternatively, it could stand for "Students Who Are Great Engineers," but that would be bragging.
