Small Innovations Making a Huge Impact
August 30, 2021
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 30, 2021) – WakeMed's very own Clinical Engineering team member, Jared Zimmel, a biomedical engineering specialist, was recently featured in an article on North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
The article highlighted just how important small innovations are and how they can make a big difference in hospital systems.
WakeMed recently installed NICVIEW cameras in the NICU so that parents can monitor their newborn's progress from their personal devices. These cameras have been extremely valuable this past year due to COVID-19 visitor restrictions being in place.
The NICVIEW cameras require micro USB power adapters in the back of the cameras. These power adapters were unprotected and the cables would often break when moved. This results in the cables being replaced regularly - an expensive cost, increased camera downtime and an inconvenience for parents.
Thanks to Jared and his creativity, he was able to branch off and develop a solution to the micro USB issue.
Using an off-the-shelf computer design application and Clinical Engineering's 3-D printer, Jared crafted a plastic frame and plastic piece to protect the USB adaptor and hold the battery pack in place. This new addition can be secured using existing hardware at a cost of pennies per unit. Small innovations like this make a huge impact at WakeMed every day.