With new modes of technology that can make the manufacturing process more efficient coming seemingly every day, it can be hard to keep up with the changes. As innovation and experimentation become more important to keep up with these changes, supporting bright, new minds pursuing careers in clinical and manufacturing settings becomes a recipe for success.
Giovanni Santucci, is a recent graduate of Western New England University with a degree in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration in Prosthetics and Orthotics in a Clinical Setting. Over the past year, Giovanni and his classmate Nelson Brunette have been working diligently on their senior design project. With the assistance of their sponsor, Hobbs Medical, Giovanni and Nelson chose a project centered around the automation of a machine that manufactures balloons for use in catheters. Hobbs Medical had a machine prior to them taking up their project, but it was not in use for the last five years. Giovanni and Nelson had to start from the ground up, cleaning the machine and creating a Design of Experiment (DOE) that allowed them to plan tests and analyze the machine to find the right settings for creating the balloon components.
After months of hard work, Giovanni and Nelson were able to redesign the way in which they were able to make balloons. This Spring, they presented their project at the Northeastern Bioengineering Conference. Their project, titled “Development of an Automated Balloon Manufacturing Process,” compared Hobbs Medical’s balloons manufactured with their old method and their new automated method. Giovanni and Nelson found that they were able to bring down the variations in the balloons made with the machine, creating efficient and consistent components necessary for use in catheters. Their design of experiment helped provide data for the most efficient and cost-effective solutions. “It’s showing the fruits of our labor are finally coming to fruition,” Giovanni said about the results of their project. Giovanni and Nelson were awarded First Place with Honors at the conference.
Giovanni began an internship with Hobbs Medical in February 2022. When it came time to work on their capstone, Giovanni said that Dr. Andrea Kwazcala, Faculty Project Advisor, Western New England University and John Kirwan, President, Hobbs Medical, helped him and Nelson along every step of the way. Whenever they hit a roadblock or had any questions, Hobbs’ team was able to mentor them, leading them in the right direction throughout the project. For Giovanni and Nelson, Hobbs provided the hands-on experience that the classroom can’t always provide. Working on the project at Hobbs allowed Giovanni and Nelson to thrive and find success in their work.
Giovanni is now employed at Hobbs fulltime and is working to grow the project and improve the efficiency of the system. “If there’s an option to continue this project forward and it gives students such as myself a chance to develop and understand real world applications for industry and manufacturing, I definitely would love to do that,” Giovanni said.
Giving students and new employees the chance to collaborate and create innovative technology to improve the manufacturing process is a win-win for everyone involved.
