The Clinical Engineering Team at Baystate has been nominated as our first Innovation Hero. Their resolve to tackle problems, in a low cost, effective and timely fashion has inspired us to create “Innovation Heros” to celebrate everyday innovators. These are people dedicated to improving the lives of others whether big or small. Here are a few examples they sent us:
Lab Handle Extension
In the Anatomic Pathology lab at Whitney Ave., staff has to repeatedly pull a short, spring-loaded handle to load cartridges. Repetition and spring design caused excessive fatigue and discomfort. Our solution was to design and 3-D print a simple extension handle which adds leverage making it easier to pull. There are approximately 6 technicians that pull these handles upwards of 50 times a shift.
Innovators: Greg Gagnon & Ken Butcher
Portable X-Ray Machine Bumper Spacer
The front bumper of our Shimadzu portable x-ray machine was broken off. The company would not sell the broken spacer which was the only thing needed to repair the device. The spacer was reproduced within 24hrs and the equipment was back in use the next day. The front bumpers cost $6000 to replace (spacer itself is not sold). Our total cost of repair was $25 for mold material and plastic, and saved over a week of downtime. Although this was not originally done with the 3-D printer, so it is a simple print job to produce these.
Innovators: Brian Bean and Greg Gagnon
Carefusion Support Arm Clamp
Carefusion sells a ventilator circuit support arm with their ventilators. When the end clamp is loosened too much it falls off and is frequently lost. The manufacturer will not sell a replacement clamp, only and entire arm which is approx. $500 each. An improved clamp assembly was designed and 3-D printed. We have 10 supports arms that can be put back into service saving approx. $5000.
Radiology
We have also designed and printed plastic slide bearings for Radiology that have already saved $3000 and significant downtime. That was a simple mold and plastic epoxy solution.