Fischell Institute Hosted Big Ten Universities Associate Deans Tour

The Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices recently hosted the Big Ten universities' associate deans to tour the institute's laboratory space, during which they learnedabout its mission and work.

The associate deans came to the University of Maryland for their annual meeting, which this year was led by Ken Kiger, the A. James Clark School of Engineering's associate dean of undergraduate programs.

"My guests and I were impressed by the scope and breadth of the projects the institute is taking on and enjoyed seeing the early prototypes of current projects," said Kiger. "The facilities were impressive to see up close, and we appreciated hearing about the processes the Fischell Institute has set up to serve the University of Maryland, Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park campuses, the state, and broader communities with its mission."

During the tour, Fischell Institute Senior Engineer and Foundry member Kevin Aroom discussed some of the biomedical devices the institute has worked on. The deans saw a prototype for a novel shoulder implant developed by MPower Entrepreneurship Fellowship alumnus Rayan Alabsi and Tejasvi Subramanya.

The deans also saw the prototype of the Fischell Foundry's customized conformal mask, which creates a more robust seal against a user’s face and provides mouth visibility to others. They also saw the fabrication workflow for the mask, which included facial 3D scanning, 3D printing a custom mold, and thermoforming a mask with interchangeable cartridges.

"I was very happy to give a tour of the Fischell Institute," said Aroom. "I wanted to convey to the group a sense of our mission, the opportunities we provide students to further their device ideas, and the tools we have available within the Foundry, as well as showcase a handful of projects we have been working on within the institute."

Aroom showcased the workspace and equipment the Foundry uses. Aroom explained how undergraduate students engage with the Fischell Institute, including the Summer Research Internship and the MPower Entrepreneurship Fellowship programs.

Published August 15, 2024