Course syllabus

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TRA535 TRA535 Ideation for health tech lp1 HT26 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by the department of Tracks

Contact details

Course purpose

The aim of the course is to develop skills in so-called called needs finding and ideation in health tech. More precisely, by observing and interacting at a given clinical environment at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital, formulating, by well-tuned brainstorming meetings and interacting with the stake holders at the hospital and generate a substantial list of clinical needs. That list will then be scrutinised, in an equally well tuned filtering process, after some iterations, down to ideally one need for each group. That need will be the concrete end-delivery.

Signature
This form (in Swedish) needs to be sign at the first lecture of each student in order to be able to observe procedures at the dermatology clinic.

Schedule

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The schedule of the course

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Day, time, place

Activity and content

Teachers

Guest

1

31/8, 13.15-17, TP-L22, Teknikparken

Presentation of the course, the literature, the teachers, the Biodesign process, and each other. Jenny and Johan will describe the IoT-part, including its history and vision. The student contract will be presented and distributed. Oliver and Torbjörn will run the show after that.

Torbjörn,
Peter, Jenny, Johan, Hana, ...

Oliver Aalami, (Vishnu, Aydin) digitally

2

1/9, 8-11.45, Sahlgrenska, Hjärtats aula, 5 at this map.

Some social activities to get to know each other, 8-8:45
The Innovation process of VGR, 8:45-11:00.
Discussions in groups, 11-11:45

Jenny Fjärding, Johan Olsson
Sandra Olsson

 

3

2/9, 8-12:00, Sahlgrenska, Lagerbladet

Service design in the public sector and needs analysis (Lecture by VGR/Sahlgrenska)

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Ann Forsman Sjöberg, Rosanna Hansenäs, Jenny Fjärding

 

4

3/9, 7.45-11.45, Dermatology clinic, Sahlgrenska

Meeting point: Entrance, Gröna Stråket 16.

Any problems? Call Ebba: +46733166884

 

 

Ebba Wennberg

 

5

 no activity

 

6

7/9, 13.15-15,  FUSE-lecture, SB3-L113

Crash course dermatology, Brainstorming basics revisited.

Ebba Wennberg, Torbjörn
Peter, 

 

7

7/9, 15.15-17, FUSE-groups, SB3-G54,55,56

Introduction, including safety, to the new space for quick prototyping at FUSE. Prototyping the need. 

Torbjörn 

Henrik Hörlin @FUSE 

8

10/9, 7.45-12, Sahlgrenska - hudkliniken

Meeting point: Entrance, Gröna Stråket 16

Needs analysis

Ebba

 

9

14/9, 12.30-12.45

14/9, 13.15-17, FUSE-groups SB3-G54,55,56

Safety course tour of FUSE

 

Needs-finding (absurdly many)

Henrik Hörlin

Torbjörn Peter, Hana, Martin

 

10

17/9, 8.00-10, FUSE lecture, SB3-L113

Needs-scoping and screening

Torbjörn Peter, Hana, Martin

 

11

17/9, 10.00-12, FUSE-groups, SB3-G54,55,56

Needs-screening

Torbjörn Peter, Hana, Martin

 

12

21/9 13.15-17, FUSE-groups, Grp 1 in SB3-L110,  grp2 in S37, and grp3 in S53, with the IoT-students. 

 

Chalmers students report and get feed-back from IoT-students. feedback on needs-analysis, and needs-screening. More iterations. And a Need-statement formulation.
Last hour will be dedicated to social activities to get to know each other better. That will seamless turn into an AW at the close by student union pub, JA Pripps, afterwards for those who want to join. (alco-free alternatives are of course encouraged) 

Torbjörn Peter, Hana, Martin

 

Ann, Jenny

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13

24/9, 8-9.45, FUSE-lecture SB-H3, then grp1 SB3-L113, grp2 SB3-S37, and grp3 SB3-S53, 10-11:30 with the IoT-students

MDR and other important regulatory processes. Lecture by VGR/Sahlgrenska.
10.00 - 10.30 Course information/discussion and Need's Screening (Torbjörn)

10.45 - 11.30: group work: initial Needs Screening with the big groups.

Niklas Fridolf and Jacob Lidman from "Medicinsk teknik och fysik" at SU. Jenny, Johan och Torbjörn present

 

14

28/9, 13.30-16.30,

Suggested trip for those who can: tram 6 to Sahlgrenska and then buss 25 to GoCo for lunch together including a small tour before going to MCH 13.30.

FUSE-groups, SB3-G54,55,56

Visit to MHC's operating room at GoCo in Mölndal for first hand observations in a safe space. Obs, this will be independent of your main project.

Look at this agreement before the trip so you will be ready to sign.

Torbjörn, Peter

Caroline Lindh <Caroline.Lindh@molnlycke.com>

Sofia Heiman <Sofia.Heiman@molnlycke.com>

 

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15

1/10, 8-10, FUSE-lecture, SB3-L113

IP-introduction

Torbjörn

Urban Lind (Patent Attorney)

16

1/10, 10-12, FUSE-groups SB3-G54,55,56

Pre-prototype ideation brainstorming

Torbjörn, Harald Franck (digital health TA)

 

17

5/10, 13-17, FUSE-groups SB3-G54,55,56

Iterations

Peter, 

Special guest: Cecilia Hahn-Berg, Strategist Life Science at Sahlgrenska 

18

8/10, 8.30-11.30, FUSE-groups SB3-G54,55,56

Visit to MHC's operating room at GoCo in Mölndal for a rapid need statment scoping and assesment in the operating room.

Torbjörn Peter,

Half-day 2/2 of this "course in the course". Now you know the way to GoCo and MHC, so see you there bright and early on Thursday morning 8.30.

19

12/10, 13.15 -17, SB3-L113

War stories, i.e. real stories from the persons being involved. Lars Mattson will talk about the a viewpoint from the "takers" side, that is, from a possible buyer of your future innovations. Andreas, Bengt and Hana will talk about their own experiences as (struggling) innovators.

Torbjörn

 

13.15 Lars Mattsson, SVP Enterprise Development at Getinge

14:15 Andreas Fhager (Medfield & E2)

15.15 Bengt Bern (Innovator)

16:15 Hana 

20

15/10, Sahlgrenska dermatology, 8-11.45

Needs finding presentation and a second look.

There will be a projector there if you want to prosent your top needs with pictures.

 Ebba (Torbjörn)

Each group gets 15 minutes to present in the morning meeting for everyone, so just bring your absolute very best needs (how many those will are) and save half of the time for questions and discussions). And come 7.45 as usual to be scrubbed in and ready. This is an important morning for you to  get get first rate help to decided the one or two best final needs. 

21

19/10,

We are having lunch together with the IoT-group: 12.10 at Kårrestaurangen in Chalmers.

13.15-17, FUSE Grp1: SB3-L113, Grp2: S37, Grp3: S53

Preparation together with IoT students to make the final finish on the winning needs and their arguments. Plan (and rehears) for the presentation on the 22nd.

After that is done, do a first joint ideation brain storming session. Split the group in two or three subgroups for that. (If some cool ideas pop-up, don't be shy to add them in your group presentation on Friday).

Torbjörn Peter, Hana,  Jenny

Regarding the presentation on Thursday, use your imagination and creativty as you like it. 

If you want to have a specific audience in mind, use Ebba as your target person and describe some of what you have observed, your needs finding process, the needs scoping and screening, and finally the winning list. And if some thoughts of moving forward appears during the ideation - or before maybe - please add those at the very end, but that should not be the main focus. The winning needs will be that. 

22

22/10, 8-12, Sahlgrenska, Stammen

Presentation for stake holders (an unknown number of people at the hospital interested in IoT and/or dermatology and perhaps our friends from MHC), with the IoT-students

Jenny, Johan, Torbjörn, Hana

Group 3:  8-8.45, inluding 15 minutes questions

Group 2: 9-9.45 

Group 1: 10 - 10.45

11 - 11.30 A general discussion about the needs-finding processes, the interaction of the TRACKS and IoT-courses, and ideas for improvment for next year. 

 

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23

29/10, 8-12, FUSE-final presentation, Kemi-L42.

Ideation Presentation at FUSE on the ideation process, alternative needs, why the final need was chosen and ideas how to (hypothetically) technically attack the chosen need. Here you might take some extra time and care to describe the clinical situation. And be careful and take the advantage to desribe arguments both for the needs and possible future ways forward, i.e. ideation, in a technical manner.

Torbjörn, Johan, Jenny + Sofia and Caroline from MHC, Ann-Marie Wennberg, Stefan Candefjord, ...

Grp 2 (2.) 8-8.45

Grp 1 (LOST) 9-9.45

Grp3 (EASY) 10-10.45

 

 

 

Course literature

The main reference literature will be:

  1. Biodesign: The Process of Innovating Medical Technologies, 2nd edition, Zenios et al, 2015. (This book will also be provided on loan in one copy for each group from TRACKS.)

  2. Hidden WOMBAT: How Executives Innovate Without the Waste of Money, Brains, and Time, Kinsella and Barlett, 2023. (Unfortunately, STORE could not get it.)

On top of that, the teaching team will provide relevant digital literature and links when suitable.

Course design

We will address concept such as: design thinking; the biodesign method, a given medical area such as dermatology, or orthopaedics, for example; fundamentals of intellectual properties; and medtech regulation frameworks; health economics, ethical principles for medical treatment; innovation strategies; brain storming techniques; prototype manufacturing in silico and in vitro.

The organisation is unique in the sense that it is a tight collaboration with a clinical specialist program called Innovation and Technology given at Sahlgrenska. Those students will have a special role in each group both being a proper member but also as a link to the hospital as an "interpreter" and "stakeholder". In addition, we will also take advantage of our close interaction with the Biodesign program at Stanford with their long-time developed strategy and philosophy, including specific exercises and processes.

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives:

    • critically and creatively identify and/or formulate advanced architectural or engineering problems
    • lead and participate in the development of new products, processes and systems using a holistic approach by following a design process and/or a systematic development process
    • work in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate in teams with different compositions
    • orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions.

with special focus on:

  • discuss insightful the general health area of interest chosen by teaching team (that is supposed to differ each year) from a: biological-, health-, clinical-, logistical, and health economic-perspective
  • critically observe and comment a clinical environment including its processes
  • lead constructive brain-storming activities
  • lead effective filtering processes in order to find the "best" need or idea among in set of candidates.

 

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen:

https://www.chalmers.se/en/education/your-studies/find-course-and-programme-syllabi/course-syllabus/TRA535/?acYear=2026/2027

Examination form

Each group will be evaluated with respect to their:

  • total need list, including its motivation
  • the final need statement, including its motivation
  • their suggested solution path, including its arguments
  • their final preliminary mock-up-prototype (physical or digital)
  • their written report of the work, conclusion and suggested future path. The dead line of turning in the report in Oct. 31 at midnight. 
  • their two oral final presentations, both at Sahlgrenska, for the stakeholders, and at Chalmers for the examinators.

In addition, individual grades will be given in an analogous way as the bachelor thesis' grades are individualised. You will get a form to fill out where you estimate your and other group members contribution to the project regarding to time and quality.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.

Course summary:

Course Summary
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