Chronic Ankle Instability (CAI)
CAI is a medical condition caused by repetitive ankle sprains that elongate the ligaments on the lateral side of the ankle; making the ankle extremely weak and unstable. This ligament extension causes instability, recurring sprains, pain, and swelling. CAI is most common among athletes and can require reconstruction surgery of damaged ligaments.
To diagnose this condition and determine if surgery is necessary, orthopedic surgeons perform X-ray and imaging studies while stress is applied to a patient's ankle to measure ligament elongation.
Design Engineering
While living in Suzhou, China and working at Soochow University I devised the CAI Laxity Pro 1000 in an Orthopedics Laboratory alongside orthopedic surgeons. The device is a tool used during the imaging processes of patients' ankles that allow surgeons to diagnose and characterize CAI.
I modelled all device components in Solidworks, Mimics, and 3-matic software to simulate the device prior to 3D printing prototypes and the final design. The device is 3D printed out of ABS material making it X-ray and MRI compatible. I used a pneumatic circuit to actuate the device during stress radiography tests.
Product Manager
As the Product Manager of the device I collaborated with orthopedic surgeons and 3D printing professionals to develop the product road map, timeline, feature definition, success metrics, and test procedures for the CAI Laxity Pro 1000. I drove milestone achievements, procured all non-printed device components from Chinese suppliers, and wrote a 50-page technical design report.