Module: Design for Medical Innovation

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Design for Medical Innovation
Module Code	MEC1081 (ITS: MEC1048, MM500)
Faculty	Engineering & Computing	School	Mechanical & Manufacturing Eng
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	7.5

Description

To provide the students with clinical exposure and the ability to engage with clinicians successfully to solve design problems. To expose students to real world problems associated with the use of a range of current surgical devices. To provide students with the necessary skills to solve design problems in relation to specific surgical devices in conjunction with clinicians. To familiarise students with the means by which the intellectual property in novel devices can be protected and the options available to bring such ideas to market. To develop the necessary skills to communicate effectively with medical practitioners. To engender in the students an awareness of the constraints within the environment of medical practitioners and the ethical implications of their work. To introduce students to ethical dilemmas facing medical innovators, including global inequalities (UN SDG 10) and issues pertaining to Good Health and Well-being (UN SDG 3).

Learning Outcomes

1. Carry out a Determination of Needs and clearly present a Needs Statement and Design Requirements for a particular Device
2. Carry out a complete literature and patent search.
3. Describe possible routes to market for novel medical devices and the regulatory framework governing such devices.
4. Carry out a detailed design synthesis of a surgical device with subsequent analysis using experimental, numerical and/or analytical techniques.
5. Understand and discuss the need for ethical standards and practice in the design and use of surgical devices.
6. Write and present a well organised project report.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Lecture	12	No Description
Directed learning	24	Workshops to help students progress
Seminars	9	Attendance at clinical seminars and interviews
Group work	100	No Description
Independent Study	42.5	No Description
Total Workload: 187.5

Section Breakdown
CRN	12164	Part of Term	Semester 1 & 2
Coursework	100%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	N
Resit Category	RC2	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator	Owen Clarkin	Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Participation	n/a	20%	n/a
Report(s)	Need Specification Report	15%	n/a
Poster presentation	Students will be asked to individually present the needs identified in their Needs Report to the class in a poster and oral presentation.	15%	n/a
Group project	Produce a written report which includes a detailed description of the clinical problem you are trying to solve, a review of the broader market space, a complete description and rendering (on paper or via prototypes/models) of your top 4 concepts, and an explanation of the market, IP challenges and development considerations (technical work packages) you have for each of the concepts proposed, along with an assessment of each concept’s likelihood to address the need criteria, and achieve regulatory approval and reimbursement.	30%	n/a
Group presentation	Presentation of final report in the form of an 'Interim Concept Development Overview'	20%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Indicative Description
Whilst the Stanford Biodesign Course comprises two successive modules, the focus of this module is in the early stage of the innovation process, namely needs finding through to concept creation with some additional focus on concept selection. In particular, the module will also explore how engineering technologies may be used to explore the feasibility of each concept proposed whereby technical work packages will be proposed which will enable the best concept to be identified with a view to commercialisation in the longer-term. The module is completely continuously assessed.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Zenios, Makower & Yock: 2010, Biodesign: The process of Innovating Medical Technologies, Cambridge University Press, New York, 978-052151742
Paul Yock, Stefanos A. Zenios, and Todd J. Brinton: 2010, Biodesign: The Process of Innovating Medical Technologies, Cambridge University Press, New York, 978-052151742
John G. Webster: 2001, Minimally Invasive Medical Technology, CRC Press, 334, 0-7503-0733-1
Ali Faraz,Shahram Payandeh: 2000, Engineering Approaches to Mechanical and Robotic Design for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), Springer Science & Business Media, 216, 0792377923
Albert M. Cook,John G. Webster: 1982, Therapeutic Medical Devices, Application and Design, Prentice Hall, 616, 0139147969
Joseph D. Bronzino,Donald R. Peterson: 2015, The Biomedical Engineering Handbook, Fourth Edition, CRC Press, 0, 1439825335
John A. S. Carruth,Alan L. McKenzie: 1986, Medical Lasers, Science and Clinical Practice, CRC Press, 296, 0852745605
John G. Webster,Amit J. Nimunkar: 2020, Medical Instrumentation, John Wiley & Sons, 928, 1119457335

Articles:
None

Other Resources

None