R&D Engineering Internship Direct Flow Medical, Inc. Santa Rosa, CA Winter 2014
Implant Examination Station
Problem: Before my internship began, Direct Flow Medical did not have a convenient way for multiple people to examine an implant at once and take high quality images of the implants.
Objective: Design a mobile and compact (DFM is tight on space) station where engineers can examine and take pictures of implants and other important parts.
Design and Fabrication: DFM already owned the camera and camera holder when I began this project. So my biggest priority was to make a convenient station where multiple people could examine the implant at the same time. I bought a steel cart off the shelf and drilled holes into the top of the cart so that I could screw the camera holder into the cart and not worry about it sliding off. I then mounted a 2”x1” aluminum t-slotted extrusion to the side of the cart to be used as a TV mount. I mounted the TV at eyelevel and rotated it 90 degrees so that positioning the implant would be logical (i.e.: moving the implant forwards results in it going up on the TV screen).
To add additional storage underneath the cart, I screwed four aluminum 1”x1” squares into the legs of the cart. I used these aluminum squares as supports for a shelf that I cut out of plywood.
Results: The camera cart has improved DFM's component inspection, image capture, and collaborative review capabilities. The design continues to be used today.