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team osa

(summer 2020)

(device and research undergoing patent so no images can be released at this time)

WHAT IS IT?:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep condition that affects thousands of people every year and is correlated to various health diseases and disorders. Current sleep apnea treatments are large, inconvenient, and uncomfortable and there is a need for a lightweight and user-friendly alternative. 

This past summer, I worked with Team OSA under MIT's Therapeutic Technology Design & Development (TTDD) Lab and the MIT Catalyst program to develop novel bioadhesives which will help treat the effects from sleep apnea while addressing discomfort in current sleep apnea devices.

COVID-19 and subsequent social distancing policy means that this project was completed entirely remotely. While this can be particularly challenging, my team and I developed new prototypes by adapting and used ingenuity in the prototyping process and collaborative space.

ROLE:

I worked in Team OSA as a biomaterials developer. I was responsible for researching bioadhesive materials for development of mouth prosthesis to prevent obstructive sleep apnea.

I designed 3 different patch molds in Fusion360 for prototype development of bioadhesive materials to optimize tongue adherence to the mouth's hard palate. Using liquid PDMS, I developed patches that featured different suction geometries for proof of concept.

I also developed a bioadhesive paste with edible hydrocolloids and different ingredients, looking to use it as an avenue of tongue adhesion to the hard palate of the mouth.


During the development process, I conducted experiments and testing for adhesion strength of developed mouth bioadhesives to iterate better bioadhesives for optimized adhesion.

SKILLS:

  • rapid prototyping process

  • 3D modeling (Fusion360)

  • experimental design and conduction

  • documentation & presentation

  • cross-functional teamwork