Safe Reprocessing of Single-Use Medical Devices
This Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) focuses on the development of a standards-based framework for the safe reprocessing of single-use medical devices (SUDs), addressing a critical need in healthcare systems operating under financial and supply constraints. Building on ongoing institutional efforts initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project aims to leverage LAU’s engineering and medical laboratory capabilities to support testing, validation, and certification services for SUD reprocessing, in alignment with international patient safety and quality standards.
Student teams will work in interdisciplinary groups to design and validate device-specific reprocessing protocols, develop quality and traceability systems, and translate international guidance (JCI, WHO, FDA) into practical, implementable policies and standard operating procedures. The project combines engineering analysis, quality systems design, healthcare operations, and regulatory compliance to ensure that reprocessed devices meet OEM-equivalent safety and performance requirements. Emphasis will be placed on risk management, lifecycle monitoring, and continuous improvement through data-driven decision-making.
Key student deliverables include reprocessing policies, validated SOPs for selected device categories, quality system manuals, traceability and adverse event management tools, certification and audit checklists, and training materials for hospital staff. In parallel, teams will contribute to a commercialization and market roll-out plan aimed at positioning LAU as a national reference center for SUD reprocessing testing and certification. Through this project, students gain hands-on experience in applied research, healthcare engineering, regulatory science, and sustainable innovation, while contributing to improved patient safety, cost containment, and environmental sustainability in the healthcare sector.
Desired Disciplines
- Graduate, senior and Junior Industrial Engineering Students especially students who have taken courses in OR, Production Systems, Supply Chain, and Simulation
- Industrial engineering students following the PreMed Track
- Senior and junior computer Science or computer engineering students with good coding skills
- Pharmacy, nursing, and medical students
- Social science and marketing students.
Team Leader