Kirigami-Inspired Flexible Temperature Sensor;A Virtue Ethics Analysis of the Medtronic Insulin Pumps Recall

My technical work and my STS research are interconnected through the theme of wearable technology, and the impact it can have on people. Both projects explore how advanced technologies interact with human lives, but they approach this relationship from different angles. The technical project contributes to improving medical technologies by developing a reliable, flexible temperature sensor for real-time monitoring. At the same time, my STS paper examines the ethical dimensions of how companies handle potential risks in such devices. However, both ultimately look at the impact these technologies can have on people.
My technical project explores the design and production of a flexible temperature sensor. It utilizes Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), an elastic polymer, and Carbon nanotubes, or CNTs to create a wearable technology that continuously measures a patient's temperature. This product utilizes three layers with the top and bottom being pure PDMS, and the middle layer being a mixture of PDMS and CNTs. The middle layer has a sinusoidal form to increase strain resistance. Furthermore, the product features kirigami cuts to further increase the strain resistance. These two things have not been done together in a published paper yet making this a unique and new design. We aim for our product to address the shortcomings of traditional medical devices offering continuous, and more comfortable body temperature monitoring.
My STS research paper looks at wearable technologies from a different angle. It focuses on the ethical issues surrounding the cybersecurity risks in medical devices, particularly in the case of Medtronic’s 2019 MiniMed insulin pump recall. Using virtue ethics, I claim Medtronic failed to act with the necessary prudence, honesty, and justice in addressing cybersecurity threats. The case study reveals how a delay in responding to known cybersecurity vulnerabilities resulted in patient safety risks, raising ethical concerns about corporate responsibility and transparency in healthcare technology. My paper argues that companies, especially those dealing with life-sustaining technologies, must uphold ethical standards beyond mere regulatory compliance to ensure patient safety and trust.
Working on these projects simultaneously allowed me to appreciate the role of ethical decision making in engineering and design. The technical work gave me insight into the importance of safety and reliability in new technologies, while the STS research highlighted how easily such technologies can be mismanaged. In the future, I will integrate the ethical principles I explored in my STS research into my engineering design process, ensuring that the technologies I develop are not only effective but also align with broader ethical responsibilities. This dual focus on innovation and ethics has given me a more holistic understanding of how engineering decisions affect society and individual well-being.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Baoxing Xu

STS Advisor: Benjamin Laugelli

Technical Team Members: Katrina Shaffer, Annabella Caporaletti, Troy Dodd, Tahmid Mahi