Project 1 - Design and Development of Crutch ( Medical Technology)

Task 1

Crutches are the medical assistive device that is used by people that have problem with walking with just their legs. Crutches help them move with the help of arms and upper body by lifting the legs in air and replacing the legs by doing so. When I ran market a market analysis about what type of crutches get sold the most in India dn what type of crutches get sold the minimum. In our country the highest selling ones are the most basic ones and then the most advance being the least sold out. Also the market seemed to be more of price inclined rather than being inclined towards what model of crutches the people are buying. Thus the companies are still pursuing the older models and not investing in making new type of designs since people are comfortable with older ones.

Task 2

Customer Requirements in a crutch

• Design should be robust.
• Design should be able to handle people of heavy weight.
• Design should be comfortable with people over 6 feet.
• Material should be comfortable to use.
• The rubber grip at the bottom should be made of anti-slip material.
• Height should be adjustable.

People still feel that old design is feasable till it covers the above givem parameters. Although some people would still love to try new styles of crutches if possible that provide better grip. Thus for now the old crutches are the only ones on the top of sales.

Task 3

Concept generation based on feedback: So the people wish for a crutch that doesn't slip even on a slippery surface. They also want the crutch to have a robust design. This means the design cannot break easily under pressure. The crutch cannot also just be of a material that deteriorates overtime. Since even in a survey it was seen that the crutches since they are bought in a pair, people do not tend to buy more of an expensive pair, be it financial strain, or "oh it is just temporary" patients, thus the product should be cheap but not compromise with the quality at the same time. In the design of crutches people seem to prefer mosular architecture over the integral architecture. Since finding an integral architecture based crutch is not easy to find for the height of the patient, thus patient looks for a modular architecture one. Since modular architecture gives the user freedom to choose whatever they wish for in a product, thus modular ones are on the rise. Also since the demand for no slipping ones is also there the design would more like represent a foot but with some suction blobs on the surface that would come in contatc with the earth. This would make the thing non slippery.

Product objective and scope: Walking is the birth right of each and every individual. But due to certain circumstamnces, a person might lose their right to walk. Thus crutches, these hand-held medical devices help a person get from place to another without any issue. All the person needs to do is select the type of crutch they are comfortable with and the crutch will take the user from one place to another.

Stakeholders and Responsibilty: When it comes to the crutch the most important part is that user is comfortable with it. Also the user needs to use the crutch efficielty to move from one place to another. The crutch also needs to be anti-slip. This means that if for example the person needs to go out and once the person is outside and it begins to rain immediately and the nearest shelter being 150 metres far, the crutch should be able to take the person to the place with safety. For all of this to work properly, the mechanical team needs to work with the design. The co-ordination between the two department will define the future of the crutch.

Operating Scenarios: Now let us take a normal example of the foot part's suction. Suppose the person gets on a tile floor. If the distribution of weight is not done properly throughoughly around the crutch, the suction can either be too great and won't come off without the person falling flat on their face, also if during a rainy season, the crutch does not suck the ground, can lead to the falling of the user. Thus the weight should be distributed evenly throughout the crutch for it to happen.

Operating Conditions: The crutch should support the normal travelling, getting up and down the stairs and not slip on slippery surafces. The crutch should also be mad of rust-repellant material so it does not catch any rust if used in rain a lot. The crutch should have a comfortable handle to begin with along with an elbow rest.

Fig 1: WBS of the crutch

Fig 2: Architecture schematic diagram

Interface Control Documents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Mechanical Interface

Chapter 2: Electrical Interface

Chapter 3: Information-flow Interface

Chapter 4: Human-machine Interface

Introduction

The crutch is a device which will help a disabled person to walk. These devices act as the legs of the person, just the part of them not being attached to the body, but make use of the arms to move the whole body.

Chapter 1: Mechanical Interface

The crutch is a mechanical device in itself without having any electrical connection to move around. The usage of the device is not a big hassle.

Chapter 2: Electrical Interface

NIL

Chapter 3: Information-flow Interface

NIL

Chapter 4: Human-machine Interface

Just before using the crutch, if it self assemble, assemble it. They put your arm in the slot and get up with the strength of the arms. Then move one crutch ahead at one time not more thna that or you might fall flat on face.

Task 4

Crutch Roadmap

	Q1 2021	Q2 2021	Q3 2021	Q4 2021	Q1 2022	Q2 2022
Handle	Normal Grip			Customized
Hand Grip	Plastic		Rubber Grip			Silicon Grip
Shaft	Integral		Modular
Foot Grip	Traditional	Foot Grip		Suction Foot

Mission Statement

Product Description	Foot grip with suction so that the crutch does not slip even with the foot design in the rain.
Benefit Statement	Better grip on floors. Since the design mimics the foot design, thus better grip. Easier to walk with even in rain.
Buisness Objectives	Competitive pricing over the exisitng crutches in the market. Recieve 5-star in safety. Launch the first phase of the product by second quarter of this year. Launch the last phase by the fourth quarter of this year.
Core Market	Older people who need support to walk around. People who cannot move because of disability and cannot afford wheelchairs.
Stakeholders	Manufacturing and supply chain partners. Retailers and stores Existing and new customers

Staffing Requirements: For this qork, the department would need the design workers to be working on the design as well as the mechanical engineers to work on the mechanics of the crutch. 100% of the staff would be needed in 50% for the Q2 release and 50% for Q4 release. This way if a new project comes up the engineers working on Q4 release can work on the new and urgent project.

Budget Requirements: Budgeting is something that will be decided after scouting the market. After the material is scouted from the market, budgeting will take place. How much of the material needs to be bought will be decided as soon as the design gets approved and the manufacturer is decided.

Product schedule: Since the first phase of foot design crutches will be released in Q2, thus the design and manufacturing should be completed atleast 15 days before the launch date. Initially about 10% of the decided pieces will be made to release in the market. Depending upon the response by the public, production of the crutches will go underway. For the design and manufacturing of the suction cup crutch, it should be completed by second month of the third quarter. Once the design is made, it needs to be approved by the design department. Once it gets the verification, a prototype will be made and the product needs to be validated. Once the validation is done for the prototype, validation for the manufacturer needs to be done. After both of them gets done, order goes through. By the last month of the third quarter, the marketing team should begin the campaign regarding the product. After that in 15 days the company will officially launch the product and in another 15 days it will be on sale.

Task 5

Simplicity	The design of the crutch is not strayed much from the original design, thus bringing in a sense of familarity. Just a arm lock in which the person needs to slide the arm.
Immediate Intuition	The immediate intution of a crutch are two rods with a wooden piece stuck between them.
Approachable Innovation	The foot rubber be changed to a foot design with suction in it, the handle have some silicon in it so that the person using it does not get tired.
Aesthetics	The crutch should not look like a handcuff.
Egronomics	It should be comfortable to use and easy to move in.

Fig-3.

This is different from the initial concept as it would use a more foot like structure rather than a plain old rubber which sometimes finds ground and sometimes doesn't, thus accounting to injuries.