In this design project, we were introduced to Himesh Patel, a patient who currently lives a two-piece system colostomy. Himesh has a job that requires heavy labor work, and he likes to go exercise each day. Unfortunately, his current appliance cannot withstand the frequent twisting and bending of the abdomen as the connection often breaks, resulting in the pouch falling off. The objective of the project is to design a new ostomy appliance that emphasizes on durability and comfortability of the product to help Himesh maintain an active lifestyle.
Our final product, the Vestomy, consists of four parts: a skin barrier, a press-and-twist lock that secures the connection, a belt that stores the output, and finally, a suspender that goes around his shoulder and holds the belt. The purpose of the whole system is to support the weight around Himesh’s waist area, therefore, minimizing the impact of belly movement on the durability of the connection between the skin barrier and the belt. DP1 - Project Showcase
During DP1, I was highly engaged in team discussions, the design process, and finishing the final deliverables. In addition, I organized several group meetings to finalize the design and work on the prototype. I also proposed four ideas during the preliminary research stage, more on that in Preliminary Ideas and Design.
3D model of the “press-and-twist” cap that is attached to the tube,
3D model of the “press-and-twist” lock that is attached to the skin barrier.
Log Book of Additional Meetings & Discussions
Technical Skills:
🔧Autodesk Inventor & 3D Printing
📝Creating Project Gantt Chart and Planning Activities
✏️Sketching Skills
Soft Skills:
👥Team Dynamics and Communications
🕛Time Management
🧪Independent Research Skills
Team34_DP1_DesignReport (1).pdf
<aside> 💡 From barely knowing anything about ostomy and ostomy appliances in the first design studio to creating a prototype that has the potential to improve the lives of thousands, I was surprised at how much progress my team and I made throughout the project.
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*Cover Image obtained from Unsplash database: https://unsplash.com/photos/S1v7hVUiCg0?utm_source=63921&utm_medium=referral