During the development of the rotating medication vial holder, I took an active, hands-on role—working in person alongside my team to observe clinical procedures, gather insights, and prototype solutions.

Driven by the need for safer, more efficient lumbar epidural injections, I conducted ethnographic research in real hospital environments, directly observing clinicians’ sterile workflows. Through these observations, I identified critical bottlenecks and sterility risks that occur when assistants aren’t available to help handle medication vials.

Working closely with Cody and collaborating with Yugma and Grace, we engaged in extensive back-and-forth ideation to define the clinical need and translate it into clear engineering requirements. While Yugma and Grace focused on detailing features, functions, and background research, my primary role centered on commercialization strategy, stakeholder analysis, and market evaluation to assess the device’s practical viability and business potential.

 I contributed to designing a rotating mechanical system and foot-pedal mechanism that allowed clinicians to rotate and secure medication vials without direct hand contact, maintaining sterility and enabling greater procedural independence. I iterated multiple prototype versions, integrating clinician feedback and human factors considerations, and carefully selected FDA-compliant materials to balance durability, sterilizability, and cost-effectiveness. We collaborated and designed and prototyped a rotating vial holder device that reduced procedural errors while it improved safety and increased workflow efficiency during lower lumbar spinal injections. This device has the potential to reduce procedure time by 15 minutes per injection, enhancing workflow efficiency, and increase clinic revenue by up to $6,000.

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I also applied human factors engineering principles—introducing color-coded vials and intuitive locking mechanisms—to ensure the device was user-friendly and allowed clinicians to stay focused on patient care. Additionally, I gained practical experience in regulatory analysis, confirming that the device qualified as a Class I medical device, streamlining its potential path to market.

 

Overall, this project demonstrated my ability to:

• Collaborate actively in hands-on, clinical environments

• Transform ethnographic research into technical solutions

• Lead commercialization and market analysis efforts

• Design and prototype innovative medical devices with regulatory and usability considerations

• identify clinical needs

• pitch a design idea
   

The result was a functional prototype that addressed sterility risks, improved procedural efficiency, and offered a practical solution to a real-world clinical challenge.