2.750: Medical Device Design, a class I took over the spring of 2025, pairs groups of students to projects pitched by various entities in the medical device space. Our project partner was an athlete's lifestyle brand, who wanted us to develop a device that could replicate massage techniques the athlete believed extended their playing career. They also wanted the device to measure the user's change in muscle stiffness in real time.
The MIT.nano Immersion Lab was concurrently conducting research on the effect of these massage techniques, and allowed us to view a massage to understand the techniques better.
Our device uses a horizontal rail and carjack mechanism to replicate the horizontal and vertical components of the massage motion.
We made the straps adjustable to accommodate a variety of leg dimensions. I also designed a magnetic failsafe mechanism so the user could escape if the device outputs an amount of force they find uncomfortable.
I helped design the gears for the jack mechanism, as well as the mounts for limit switches that can constrain the horizontal path of the mechanism as desired by the user.
The device features a load cell beneath the roller mount to measure force output. I calculated a formula to convert the stepper motor and load cell data into an estimate of muscle stiffness.
