Fall 2018

BME 1
Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

Project 3: Point-of-Care Diagnostic Device

With experience now obtained gathering information and developing new

strategies for cancer and cardiovascular diseases, your group has decided to move on
from Anteater Innovation Consulting en masse to start up your own company. This
decision was motivated by your shared interests in helping as many people by enabling
point-of-care diagnostics. Amazingly, you have managed to attract the attention of The
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and you have a pitch meeting scheduled in a few
weeks. You must now scramble to put together an exciting presentation so that you can
obtain that all-important seed money. But first, you need to make some important
decisions:

1. What disease and patient base are you going to target? This can be either
infectious or non-infectious, and relevant to the developed or developing world.
2. What critical need are you going to focus on addressing?
3. What is the specific approach for the new device?
4. What would you name your company?
5. What would you name your device? Think of something catchy that you can sell!

The project has three deadlines: (1) meet with your new group and decide which device
topic to pursue and what each member’s new job will be, (2) prepare a 3 page summary
for the foundation to provide them with an idea about what you will be presenting, and
(3) the presentation.

Detailed Instructions
(1) Group focus meeting: due 11/21 by e-mail to your assigned TA
- Select your disease topic
- Assign jobs: leader/manager, marketing, device design, R&D, manufacturing,
regulatory/IP, accounting, and editing. Although many of these roles are new, no
member should repeat a role from previous projects.
- Optional: schedule an appointment with Julia Gelfand (ideally for leader and
marketing at least).
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*Note: no approval is needed to start phase 2, so begin as soon as you decide on a

topic.

(2) Project summary: due 12/4; hard copy in class and soft copy by e-mail to your
TA and Professor Haun
1. Summary page (1 page)
- Company information and device name
- Problem/disease and importance
- Current detection strategies
- Functional and operational details of device (design)
- Innovativeness of device
- Prototyping, testing, manufacturing, regulatory, and IP plans
- Expected costs
2. Device schematic (1 page, with description of features)
3. References (1 page)

(3) Presentation: 12/13, time and place TBA; soft copy sent e-mail to TA and
Professor Haun
I. Executive summary: info about company, employees and jobs (Leader)
II. Market analysis: goals, customers, innovation (Marketing researcher)
III. Device description: design, prototyping, testing, manufacture (Design, R&D,
Manufacturing, Regulatory/IP)
IV. Cost analysis (Accountant)
V. Summary (Editor)

The presentation will have a strict 15 minute time limit. A short period for questions will
immediately follow. Presentation time and location will be randomized. A soft copy of
your Powerpoint slides should be sent by e-mail to your assigned TA and cc’d to
Professor Haun. This must be sent by noon of the presentation day (you need time to
practice remember!).

Grading
- 70% for content of presentation: details of device design and plans
- 20% for effectiveness of prepared slides
- 10% for effectiveness of speaking
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The grades for content and slides will be shared by the group as a whole, but the
speaking portion of the grade will be on an individual basis. Do not fret too much over
this aspect, if you prepare for your section you will be fine.