BLOOD HOOK ORGANIZERS

Seattle Children's Research Institute

This project was commissioned by the Transfusion Services department in Seattle Children’s Hospital to improve process success. One of the processes they used required hanging the blood bags on hooks, but the tubing that was attached to them would get caught on drawers below, causing them to fall off. My task was to informally interview the staff of the lab to figure out the specifics of the issue and any current fixes, and then design a hook that could hold the bag as well as manage the wires.

Blood Hook organizers: Projects

As my first major project for Seattle Children's, this project was what introduced to the facilities and procedure of the lab. To start off, I interviewed the client of the product to find out more about the problem they were facing. There I learned about further considerations like the air circulation in the refrigerators and how many blood bags needed to fit at a given time. With the minimum constraints set up, I then began iterating through prototypes that could meet them. As versions went by the design became more refined to deal with center of gravity and aesthetics, allowing me to experiment with the accuracy and capabilities of the 3D printer. Once the final prototype was done, it was given to the client for testing. Approving, enough were produced to meet the needs of Transfusion Services.

Blood Hook organizers: Text

Blood Hook organizers: Image

In this project I was introduced the quality management system of the lab, and all of the paperwork involved in it. While overwhelming at first, it was undoubtedly useful in better understanding a rigorous approach to engineering. Through the laying out of plans, requirements, and expected issues, planning becomes much more accurate and representative of what actually happens. The QMS system helps with consistency between projects as well. By using a standard system you get standardized results, something especially important to the medical field.

Blood Hook organizers: Text