Fischell Institute Hosts High School Shadow Day

The Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices hosted a High School Shadow Day program in A. James Clark Hall's fifth-floor conference room on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

The program invited students from Prince George's, Howard, and Montgomery County high schools interested in learning about biomedical engineering practices and the A. James Clark School of Engineering.

Fischell Institute Associate Director Martha Wang welcomed the students with an overview of what medical devices are and device implant examples, including cardioverter-defibrillators, artificial hips, and heart pacemakers.

Fischell Foundry Engineer Quinn Burke then explained the Fischell Institute's mission and offered some background on Robert Fischell, the namesake for both the institute and bioengineering department.

Fischell Institute and MPower Entrepreneurship Fellow Jason Chen followed with a run-through of the Keyscope device, a low-cost, durable, reusable laparoscopic system that can be manufactured and used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), a project the Fischell Institute has previously worked on.

After Chen’s presentation, Foundry Engineer Ryan Smith defined 3D printing and the device manufacturing process. Smith then invited the students into the lab, where he showed them the 3D printers and other machines he and the Foundry use when developing parts for devices. The group also toured the Terrapin Works station in A. James Clark Hall.

Students also toured Affiliate Fellow and Bioengineering Department Assistant Professor Jenna Mueller’s Global Biomedical Devices lab, where they saw a demonstration of the Keyscope device, and Affiliate Fellow and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Assistant Professor Hannah Zierden's research lab.

The program ended with a short segment about FDA regulatory pathways for medical devices presented by Wang, and a round of the game Kahoot! to challenge the students on what they learned throughout the day.

"It was great to have the students join us and showcase the exciting work within the institute," said Wang.

Published August 15, 2024