Engineer in Residence Program:
Concept Engineering
Emily Davis
Covidien
9/12/12
Agenda
 My background
 Covidien corporate overview
 Engineer in Residence Program overview
 Concept Creation
 Concept Selection
My Background
 BS Biomedical Engineering from UCONN in 2006
 MAT Middle School Math and Science from AASU in Savannah, GA
 Currently working on Masters in Materials Science and Engineering at
UCONN
 Interned at Covidien 2005 and 2006. Returned to Covidien in 2009 as a
Product Development Engineer
Covidien Corporate Overview
Covidien is…
 A global medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing company with
over $11 Billion in annual revenue
 Well positioned with a diverse portfolio of products and technologies in
attractive franchises
 A company with a history of quality and innovation
 Highly efficient and productive, producing strong margins and cash flow
 A leading player across our portfolio
What does Covidien mean?
 “Co,” from the Latin word for together
 “Vi,” from the Latin word for life
 Covidien is a unique name in our space within the healthcare industry – and
it is designed to stand out from our competitors
An ongoing partnership in the lifesaving work of medical
professionals, creating far-reaching benefits for improved
patient care
What is the significance of the Covidien brand
icon?
 Two bracketed "C's," representing Covidien's core values of Compassion and
Collaboration
 Visually embodies support and integration
The two “C’s”
of Compassion and
Collaboration
Our Mission and Vision
Our Mission
Create and deliver innovative healthcare solutions, developed
in ethical collaboration with medical professionals, which enhance
the quality of life for patients and improve outcomes for our
customers and our shareholders.
Our Vision
Deliver unmatched value to our customers by providing solutions that
improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery through clinically
relevant and economically valuable innovation.
Strong Line-Up of Well Recognized Brands
Engineer in Residence Program
 This program is designed to send one to two Covidien engineer(s) to UCONN
per week throughout the academic year. This engineer will provide senior
design project support.
 Align senior design project syllabus with engineer skills so proper help is
provided throughout the various project stages.
 First semester we will be at UCONN on Wednesdays.
 Present from 12:00-1:00
 Office hours from 1:00-4:00
 Extra credit available for participation.
 Disclaimer: Although we are all professional engineers our expertise tends
to be in areas that we work in consistently. We do not know everything, but
promise to help as much as possible and point you in the right direction if
we don’t know.
Engineer in Residence Program Topics
 Creativity Tools and Concept Selection
 Product Development Process/FDA for Medical Devices
 Rapid Prototyping/Machining: Methods and Design Guidelines
 CAD Basics
 How to Read Engineering Drawings
 How to Create Engineering Drawings
 Design for Manufacturing/ Design for Assembly
Concept Creation and Selection
Why do we need to learn about creativity?
 Thomas Edison and the light bulb filament:
 "I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work."
 Do you think this trial and error approach would be acceptable in the business world?
 We need to be innovative, but at the same time efficient
 Must have tools at our disposal that help us:
 Remove our bias
Solution
Space for
Solver
S
Knowledge
Boundary
 Think outside the box
 Bring novel ideas
 Be more efficient
S P
S
S
Real
Boundary
Constraints
Presumptions
Boundary
Problem Solving Steps
4-STEP PROBLEM SOLVING
GENERIC
PROBLEM
GENERIC
SOLUTION
ABSTRACTION
ANALOGIC THOUGHT
SPECIFIC
PROBLEM
SOLUTION
BIAS
2-STEP PROBLEM SOLVING
DRIVEN BY AUTOMATIC
INTELLECTUAL RESPONSE
Some simple creativity tools…
 Process Mapping
 Brain Writing
Process Mapping
 Should describe:

Major activities/tasks

Sub-processes

Process boundaries

Input variables (X’s)

Output variables (Y’s)
 Can help determine proper scope of project
 Shows unexpected complexity, problem areas, redundancy, unnecessary loops,
and where simplification may be possible
 Great for laying out functions of a device, steps of a test method, etc.
 As more information becomes available, the map can be updated to verify the
scope is controlled and correct for the design objectives
 Needs to be routinely updated
Process Mapping Symbols
Start, Stop
A path (flow) from one step to another
A step in a process
A decision or multiple choice
Storage or inventory
Delay
Process Map Example
Clip Applier
Squeeze
Triggers
Actuate
handle link
Translate
Drive Channel
Rotate Drive
Link
Translate
Ratchet Plate
Cam over
jaws
Rotate Driven
Link
Translate
Pusher
Rotate Pawls
Yes
Full
handle
squeeze?
Push clip into
jaws
Form clip
Partially
formed clip
Brain Writing (6-3-5)
 An alternative to traditional brainstorming
 Ideas are written instead of spoken
 Encourages building on others’ ideas
 Good for introverted personalities
Brain Writing (6-3-5)
1.
Everyone gets a brain writing
form
2.
Write 3 ideas across the top
row
3.
Allow fixed time intervals (5
minutes)
4.
Rotate forms through group
5.
Review ideas of previous
person
6.
Either expand on previous
person’s idea (use arrows to
show the flow) or write new
ideas
7.
Problem Statement
Pass
1
Idea A
Idea B
Idea C
A+B
Idea D
Mod C
2
B Mod
A+D
3
Two sided for 6-3-5
Keep passing sheet until all
participants have received
each sheet
6-3-5: 6 participants, 3 ideas/pass, 5 min/pass
Other methods to look into…

TRIZ- Theory of Inventive Problem Solving

A problem-solving algorithm developed by a Soviet inventor based on extensive research of global
patent history
1.
Problems and solutions repeat across industry and science
2.
Patterns of technical evolution also repeat across industry and science
3.
Innovations used scientific effects outside of the field in which they were developed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TRIZway.jpg
TRIZ Continued (www.triz40.com)

Basic principle that inventive problems stem from contradictions such as, “I need a longer
instrument shaft, but need to minimize its weight.”
Improving Feature
Worsening Feature
Concept Selection: Pugh Matrix
 Developed by Stuart Pugh
 Used to compare alternative design concepts
 Comparisons based upon design requirements
 Results can be single or reduced number of concepts
Pugh Matrix Steps for Application
1.
Determine the design requirements
2.
Identify competing designs with a small phrase or picture
3.
Create a matrix with
4.
1.
Requirements on left
2.
Design concepts on the top
Establish a team mutual understanding
1.
All requirements
2.
All design concepts
5.
Weight the design requirements on a 1, 3, 9 scale if necessary
6.
Rate each design’s ability to meet the requirements
1.
Rank 1-3 (3=best, 1=worst)
7.
Multiple weights by rating and sum each column to determine superior design
8.
Evaluate each concept for “hybrid potential”
Example
Clip Feeding Pugh Matrix
Weight (1, 3, 9)
Design Options
Evaluation Criteria
Design 2
Design 4
Const. Force
Spring
Walking Beam
Rank 1-3 (3= best, 1 = worst)
Clip Tolerance Sensitivity
6
2
2
3
2
2
9
3
2
6
3
2
3
2
2
Robustness/Performance
9
2
2
Design for Assembly
3
3
2
Design for Manuf.
3
3
2
Overall Size
3
9
2
3
3
3
138
120
Complexity of Timing
Mechanism
Cost
Tolerance Sensitivity of
Mechanism
Part Count
Clip Stability
Total Score
Conclusions
 Concept creation tools help eliminate bias and provide a systematic
approach to innovation
 Process mapping, brain writing, and TRIZ are just a few of the many tools
available
 Once concepts are created, a Pugh matrix can help rank concepts to
determine the best solution or hybrid solution
Any questions?