Weekly Progress Reports (see sidebar), the Gantt chart, and this Project Management page should be printed out before meetings with the sponsor and instructor.
All team members should be able to explain all items on the progress report.
Place a "*" at the beginning of the title of the active week Progress Report (see * in sidebar).
Project Objectives
Concisely list and prioritize the project objectives and constraints
High Priority Objectives
Develop a set of tools that allows for the inoculation of multiple WinCF capillary tubes at the same time.
As a reusable piece coming into contact with bacteria, these must be sterilizable (bleach or autoclave). Alternatively, it can be disposable (i.e. cheap enough to be made for each test run).
Second Priority Objectives
Ideally, the tool should be quick and easy enough to use to fill at least 3, but preferably up to 10 replicate samples, simultaneously
Develop a tool that assists with the imaging of prepared WinCF capillary tubes.
Develop a tool that assists with the incubation of these samples (or at the very least, can be used in an incubator).
Other Constraints and Issues
Preferably, the tool used to fill the capillary tubes should have some feature that allows for the capillary tubes to all be sealed at once (e.g. able to be lined with epoxy putty).
WOW Design Solution
An accurate model of the human lung (including the inner branching structures of the bronchi splitting into bronchioles), that allows for multiple WinCF samples to be studied in a model that mimics the human lung not only in terms of microbiome environment, but in form as well.
Risk Reduction Strategy
List areas of risk and strategy that will be used to eliminate risk really in the design process.
Disposable vs. Reusable: Determining what components should be permanent and which should be disposable. This is based on an analysis of already available lab equipment, and highly dependent on the end user's preference for usability.
Capillary-Action vs. Pressure: Determining whether or not we need to build a sealed pressure system to assist with the filling of the tubes. This is based on an analysis of how long it takes to fill a tube without any negative pressure, and should identify whether fill-speed is a limiting factor in the overall usability of our design.
Intermediate Milestones
Identifying meaningful intermediate milestones is a critical for effective project management. Together with your sponsor identify such milestones, and specify specific performance requirements you aim to meet at each milestone.
1. Filling tool able to successfully hold sample media (e.g. watertight)
2. Filling tool allows at least 3 capillary tubes to be filled at once
3. Filling tool allows for at least 2 different bacteria samples (3 capillary tubes each) to be filled
4. [Possible] An imaging tool that allows for the secure fixturing and photo capture of capillary tubes
5. [Possible] Filling tool is capable of easily transitioning samples to incubator, or at the very least does not interfere with incubation.