Tracking System for Useful Life of an Insulin Pump Motor

Abstract

This research project was focused in the implementation of a Tracking System for the useful life of an infusion pump’s motor. This component is a sub-assembly of the infusion pump which is used to deliver fluids into a patient’s body in a controlled manner. DMAIC is the methodology used in this research as Define, Measure Analyze, Improve and Control. DMAIC is a popularized continuous improvement method. Although there is considerable literature available with the Six Sigma implementations, there is very little research published about the experiences implementing step by step some tools. The goal of this research is to develop a system that will track how many times a motor is reclaimed in the manufacturing line and to make this system determine when is time to scrap the component. This will minimize the amount of returns due to alarms related to motors. In this research were used different techniques to maintain a continuous improvement, demonstrating that the DMAIC methodology is a useful one to have an incremental improvement. Key Terms - DMAIC, Insulin Pump, Six Sigma, Useful Life.