NGT ASSIST

To start our 2022 year right, the team met before the beginning of the semester to discuss important information for this upcoming project:

• We discussed accounting for moisture content for device interface material and addressed concerns over chosen material mimicking exterior rather than interior skin.
• We established a new meeting time for this semester as well as compared scheduled to determine best times for supplemental meetings.
• We agreed to discuss shear pressure threshold with our advisor (Dr. Wei). We would like to address whether it is worth measuring this parameter when the shear pressure required to cause damage is so high and if the user would even be able to produce this level of shear pressure.
• The team also talked about the progress of the 3D models created using scans and modeling software.

At the end of fall semester, it was time to wrap up all our ideas into a single presentation. As a team, we finalized our design inputs and came up with design solutions, matrices, and models. In all, this helps prepare us to start next semester in full gear ready to begin ordering parts and building our device.

Since the time to start building our device is approaching closer and closer, this month our group had to focus on preparing ourselves for the Interim Design Review. During this process, we discussed requirements, specifications, verification methods, and justifications for the design of our device.

We also began to think about some design solutions. They can be found under interim design review.

Based on the interim review, our group:
- began to identify appropriate sensors
          -  FSR (force-sensitive resistors) for compression pressure             
            (maybe shear as well)
- started to think about how we will model out device
          - 3D print a shell? create a mold?
- decided an Arduino would be sufficient as a microprocessor for our project (not computationally demanding)
- identified goal of 3D modeling of anatomy in SolidWorks for final presentation
- began to think about how to specify material property testing methods for verifying silicon (or material(s)) being used to make up device
-Went over hazard analysis spreadsheet and documentation

October was extremely fun and interactive because our team was able to engage in some hands on learning experiences. Our team leader reached out to the head of the Nursing department and we were invited into the nursing simulation lab to see and touch a real 18Fr Salem Sump tube. Each member of our team also practiced inserting one into a dummy. Below is each member’s experience!

In addition to hands on learning, our group updated our requirements once we received feedback from biomedical engineering faculty members to match our device more. 

We met with a couple people to progress our idea more: 

- Norma Brown, the Simulation Coordinator of the Simulation and Clinical Learning Resource Center, and Chris Woods, the Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist to assist with NGT insertion practice

- Joe Zanetti, professional services specialist, to discuss machine shop procedures and safety

- Dr. Erin Keaney, research scientist, COO and Co-Founder of Nonspec, and plastics engineering professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, to discuss her research in different methods of tissue modeling 

To further our design, our group worked on:

Our team decided on creating an attachment to pre-existing NGTs that provides proximity and/or pressure information to the user – which can be used in clinical and training settings. The scope of our device was narrowed down to a suction tube to be used on adult patients that provides auditory/visual feedback.