Project based Learning and Biomedical Devices: The UBORA Approach towards an International Community of Developers Focused on Open Source Medical Devices

The engineering design of successful medical devices relies on several key factors and constitutes an extremely challenging process, which requires from multidisciplinary collaboration. In consequence, preparing engineers in general and biomedical engineers in particular to work in the medical industry, in connection with biodevice development, is complex. The teaching learning processes, through which the trainees should acquire a broad overview of the medical field and biomedical industry, a well-balanced combination of general and specific knowledge according to the chosen specialization, several technical abilities linked to modern engineering tools and a wide set of professional skills, have to be strategically planned and implemented. Among the existing teaching-learning methodologies that can be employed for providing such holistic training, project-based learning is presented here and illustrated by means of successful experiences. Trends in the field of collaboratively developed open source medical devices (OSMDs) are presented and main current R&D challenges analyzed. To illustrate the OSMD field, the "UBORA" project (meaning "excellence in Swahili) is highlighted as a paradigmatic example, in which research and training aspects are importantly interwoven. In fact, this Euro-African initiative is focused on the promotion of OSMDs by means of innovation through education, by the creation of a sort of "Wikipedia" of medical devices, the "UBORA e-infrastructure", which also guides designers in the engineering design process and supports online collaboration through the process, and by the constitution of an international community of developers devoted to OSMDs. Results from project-based learning activities within the UBORA project, which include competitions, design schools and final degree theses, are presented. The "UBORA e-infrastructure", with more than 100 open source biodevices concepts and prototypes already developed in collaboration by a global community of around 350 users, and shared through such online platform, are also analyzed