Ethical Animal Testing Issues

Animal testing is a very controversial subject that affects all of us. Everybody already used a product that was approved by testing on animals. But is it an ethical thing to do? “Better test on animals then on humans” some people would say. If humans are the smart class of animals shouldn’t we figure out new ways of testing? This is an enormous ethical issue that has been going for a long time.

Industrial Engineers would probably not participate in the research itself but companies that they work for might. That affects their reputation and might conflict with their personal values. Animal testing is mandatory in most countries before tests on humans. The problem with that is: 92% of drugs passed on animals did not have the same success with humans. Also over 50% of the animals used in cosmetic testing died three weeks after it. Clearly it is not a perfect system of testing.

However banning the total use of animal testing now wouldn't be a smart move. There is not enough alternative ways of testing drugs before testing in humans. Therefore there should have laws to regulate the types of testing and also treatments to make the experience less painful for animals. Rodents, reptiles and birds are not part of the Animal Welfare Act therefore labs, when testing on them, don’t have to provide pain relief. They are also subjected to shocks, starvation and burn. Very nonhuman like.

The ideal situation would be to gradually advance into new ways of testing and one day become independent of animal testing. There are already technologies being developed to improve this situation. One example would be the “lung-on-a-chip” that contains living human cells linked to this tiny device that simulates the lung and air vessels connecting it. This device could help with the test of body response to lung infections and diseases. There is also research being done on synthetic human skin and that could help analyze how drugs travel through the skin.

Animal testing is widely used. To effectively address this problem we have to continuously make improvements on technologies that could help on testing on a safer way and more effective way. I hope scientists and politicians see the problem that is in front of them and act on it. There is the humane thing to do.

--Pedro dos Santos--

References:

http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-animal-testing

http://www.planet-science.com/categories/over-11s/technology/2011/09/animal-testing---the-facts.aspx

http://www.theengineer.co.uk/sectors/medical-and-healthcare/news/lung-on-a-chip-device-could-reduce-animal-drug-testing/1015647.article

Machine Software Problems

Who never had a problem with their washing machine or fridge? I believe it is safe to say that most people would answer they already had problems with some type of electronic home appliance. But now try to picture this: you have a problem with your dryer, you call a service number from the manufacturer and suddenly it is fixed with no technicians coming to your house. The implementation of such service is not science fiction anymore. The ability to fix machines without actually being there is already on our near future.

This revolutionary idea was developed by eWon and Talk2M. Those companies provide the customer service that has been changing business. Those services have been provided mostly to industrial machinery; but this is just the first step that can be expanded to a wider market. It is a “win – win” situation for the client and the manufacturer. Both send money and time, so it really does impact the industrial engineering field.

The eWon and Talk2M works by equipping a eWon industrial router into the machine and using the internet to connect to Talk2M. The engineers at Talk2M headquarters can see the live performance of the machine and in case of software problems fix it right away. Also they can access cameras that are located in strategic spots on the machine that can help with their full analysis.  Before that, companies would have to send a technician or one of their engineers, depending on the complexity of the problem, to take a look at it. Now we can see how much companies can benefit from these services.

Also applying these ideas to a wider public is just a matter of time. There are numerous applications for this type of integrated technology and customer service. It is very certain that technology has been advancing and companies that want to “keep up” with the market, have to be willing to make some progression in the field.

As an industrial engineer student, I would advise a company to purchase such services if they have high costs with maintenance of equipment. It is a great tool for my field since we try to make things faster and more cost efficient. And eWon and Talk2M provided exactly those services. I look forward on seeing any new updates on the marriage of customer and technology services.

Also see the video that explains the system:

--Pedro dos Santos--

References:

http://www.ien.eu/article/resolving-machine-software-problems-remotely/?hash=video

ITClamp Review

Industrial engineering is becoming more usual in hospitals. The term operational efficiency has been used for many decades on assembly lines in manufacturing. Applying some of those concepts and ideas in a scientific matter to help hospitals is already a reality. Industrial Engineers that work with health care are always trying to find new ways and new technologies to improve patient service and improve chance of survival in an emergency.

This year new technologies were announced that can help save life`s. The Innovative Trauma Care (ITC) developed the ITClamp. That device helps stop massive hemorrhage, the leading cause of death in traumatic injury, in a matter of seconds. The device is about 5 centimeters long, very light and it costs $65. It works by clamping the ITClamp on the wound which helps stop the bleeding immediately and creates a clot around the wound.

This video shows how the clamp works:

This innovative clamp is a great improvement on the field of healthcare and emergency situations. It helps the job of industrial engineers because it assesses one of the major issues on emergency situations, making it more efficient to streamline the treatment of patients. The size and the efficiency of the ITClamp are the highlight features. The clamp can be used in combat or by police officers and firefighters. Also it is very easy to use and no training is needed so civilians could use it as well. The techniques used before were not as effective because pressure had to be applied to the wound to stop the bleeding. The price is very reasonable as well; it is not very expensive so hospitals could buy many of them. However if there was more industries that sold those types of clamps, price would be reduced.

The ITClamp is an excellent investment for hospitals and emergency personnel. It is a very innovative device that will help save many lives. There are only advantages to this product compared to what it is on the market now. The ITClamp was the winner of the EMS World 2012 top innovations award. That shows the impact of this product. I look forward to see the results of this new technology on the industrial engineering field.

--Pedro dos Santos--

References:

http://www.iienet2.org/IEMagazine/Details.aspx?id=33788

http://www.emsworld.com/product/10821630/innovative-trauma-care-itc-itclamptm-hemorrhage-control-system

http://www.medgadget.com/2012/04/tactical-use-skin-closure-device-stops-traumatic-bleeding-in-combat-zones.html

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130108006685/en/Innovative-Trauma-Care%E2%80%99s-ITClamp-Hemorrhage-Control-System

About Industrial Engineering

The world economy is becoming globalized as time goes by. The need to make things easily accessible and cheaper is going to differentiate the winner from the loser.  When I say I am studying Industrial Engineering many people just link it to manufacturing and working in industries in general, which can be monotonous if you are not interested in how things are made. But little do they know that it is wider than that. When they ask me “what do industrial engineers do?” I simply answer we make things faster, cheaper and more efficient from the beginning to the end of a product. It is a very vague statement, but that triggers curiosity into them.

Now that I have the person`s attention I can develop more on the hands on part of Industrial Engineering. Industrial Engineers can work in a variety of sectors since their expertise can be applied in different ways. It goes from making aluminum can manufacturer save more money per can or design ways to get a patient from the ambulance to the ER faster.   It is also a lot related to management but with a more technical and scientific knowledge of the process. That makes industrial engineers very attractive in an economy like this. Who wouldn't like to save money and time?

To have a better understanding of the profession, watch the video bellow to show how wide this career really is.

To become an Industrial Engineer it is also very important to know how to work in groups. The collaboration for this profession is essential since it involves the client, management and employees. Knowing how to communicate with different people`s backgrounds is also crucial. Not to mention the critical and problem-solving skills, those are probably the two most important ones. Solving problems is what industrial engineers do. It may sound distinct but sometimes it is necessary to find flaws where it doesn't seem there is. So to maintain their job they also have to contest the way the process is done. The more experience, the easier it is to find the flaws in the system.

Now that we understand what IE`s do, I will talk about the job perspective and salaries in general. According to the occupational outlook handbook website the top industries sectors that IEs are employed are:  aerospace, parts manufacturing, architectural, navigational, motor vehicle parts manufacturing and others. The median annual wage of industrial engineers in 2010 was $76,100. As the economy is not doing very well in the United States the outlook for the next years is not very good since companies are not hiring that much. However companies that invest in hiring IEs would be doing a good investment since they can help the company save a lot of money and time.

I am looking forward on graduating and becoming a professional in the industrial engineering field. I hope that with this brief overview you learned more and maybe became interested in the profession.

--Pedro dos Santos--

Links:

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/industrial-engineers.htm#tab-1

http://www.iienet2.org/