Euclid Exercise Science Students Learn About Medical Engineering

Rarely do the Exercise Science and Robotics Career-Tech Programs find common ground, but a visit from W.C. Vance of Cleveland State University brought the two programs together to explore the intersection of engineering and the medical field for Euclid Exercise Science Students.

Vance, Manager of Student Programs and Assistant Director of Fenn Academy, collaborates with high schools to inspire STEM careers and introduce students to college life. Beyond his role at CSU, Vance is an engineer contributing to problem-solving solutions

Vance was involved with the creation of the HertVest–a medical procedural skills trainer that helps maintain the look, feel, stress and authenticity of many routine and critical medical procedures in a simulated setting. The HertVest looks like a standard CPR manakin, but was designed to be wearable and multifunctional which is directly applicable to the emergency medical field.

While presenting about the HertVest, Vance taught students about the engineering design of the vest while also illustrating the medical usefulness of the product.

During a demonstration of the HertVest’s capabilities, students from Ms. Keller’s Exercise Science class were tasked with showing off their emergency medical skills by performing a tracheotomy on the HertVest (worn by one of the students). While the Exercise Science students studied the medical procedure, Mr. Uhlir’s Robotics class studied the engineering feat of designing a manakin that replicates a human body repeatedly.

Throughout his presentation, Vance weaved in information about the different engineering disciplines that came together to design the product.

In addition to his presentation about the HertVest, Vance spoke with the students about careers in engineering and his perspectives on the engineering field. He emphasized how chemistry, biology, physics and math are used to design products and solve problems.