The University of Texas at El Paso and Fountainhead Investment Partners' Watershed joined forces to offer a public-private pilot class focused on creating medical devices. Watershed is an idea foundry specializing in biomedical growth and innovation.
Here are five things to know:
1. Twenty-four students took the Orthopedic Medical Device Design course through the university's mechanical engineering department in the fall semester.
2. Watershed engineers and physicians shared their expertise in the field during the class.
3. Students completed the course by designing and developing a spinal implant, based on biomedical principles with broad applicability. The project involved three design review presentations, a design history file and testing of prototypes.
4. The course emphasized medical device design within the mandates of healthcare requirements and FDA regulations.
5. Students learned about quality control and additive manufacturing, as well.