Chad Knutsen Email & Phone Number

San Diego, Ca, Us

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

San Diego, Ca, Us

San Diego, Ca, Us

San Diego, California, Us

• Company resource for Mechanical, Fluid, Thermal, Pneumatic, Process, and System Design • Ability to quickly generate multiple solutions and rationale to address the problem or need• Conducting Concept and Feasibility Studies• Responsible for project success• Interpreting design inputs, identifying design parameters and engineering problems• Ensuring solutions are implemented accurately and stay on budget• Oversee project workflow and support internal and external resources to ensure timely completion• Maintain accurate records, BOMs, and product history files according to quality and FDA standard• Find, spec, and purchase capital equipment based on project requirements• Perform Failure Modes and Effects AnalysisDisclosable Results:•Reduced evaporation induced Marangoni flow and the coffee ring effect by ultrasonic atomization deposition at a controlled rate. The result is a uniform surface that produces a more repeatable sensor. •Developed a method for producing a Laser Patterned Thermally Bonded Multi-Layer Sensor Array without Deforming the Capillary Lumen Geometry. Maintaining capillary geometry during thermal bonding is a known industry challenge that I successfully designed around.•Improved product throughput and increased detection accuracy to 100% by designing, building, verifying, and implementing the test system.•Improved injection molded part yield from <80% to 100% by optimizing the process parameters using analysis of variance (ANOVA) to obtain the best combination of set points•Eliminated injection site pain by designing a compact power-dense injection molded spring capable of 60G accelerations for painless site injections. The injection molded single piece spring is designed for minimal assembly and production cost.•Initiated and contributed to the development of a fracture and fatigue proof flexible circuit material and the method of producing it with PVD and various pre and post surface treatments.

• 8 direct reports in engineering, chemistry, micro-fab• Reporting directly to the CEO • Optimized production throughput by implementing a more suitable process structure• Planning and directing department efforts towards 3 human trials• Finding and hiring talented engineers and engineering technicians• Encouraging and developing skills of team by providing feedback on project contributions• Ensuring the success of engineers and technicians by providing technical guidance and resources• Coaching and mentoring junior engineers and technicians in design and process practices• Learning the abilities of my team by asking their solutions before pitching my own• Achieving total milestone success by coordinating and prioritizing tasks and following through • Proven ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously by utilizing effective software • Planning and conducting product development meetingsDisclosable Results:•Reduced glucose sensor variation by 20% to just under 6% by designing, testing, and building an automated enzyme deposition system. Automation allowed for experimental optimization and ensured repeatability of position, rate, path of deposited enzyme and the dwell time, temperature and humidity within the process. •Reduced in-vivo test result wait from 1 week to real-time by developing a unique and programmable 5DoF pneumatically actuated in-vivo simulator. Results were available in real time and on-site with multiple mechanical configurations for different modes and multiple program configurations for varied response parameters.•Improved production yield from <70% to 100% by adding $20 springs. Analytical thinking led to the discovery that the hydraulic heated laminating press was over-pressuring from thermal expansion and causing failures in the conductor plane. Adding DME springs to the stack-up maintained equal pressure by absorbing the fractional expansion without increasing the transferred pressure.

• Electro-mechanical design, development, and analysis of a Transcutaneous Artificial Pancreas• Automation equipment design, fabrication, and testing• Developing and fabricating accessory products to the transcutaneous artificial pancreas• CAD modeling utilizing motion study, design checks, and GD&T• Generating Finite Element Analysis, Computational Fluid Dynamics, and Thermal Simulations• Creating fixtures and test systems to support internal departments• Developing production, validation/verification, and test processes• Utilizing PVD equipment and techniques to produce flexible conductors• Optimizing processes and developing novel solutions to challenging problems• Designing injection moldable products, injection molds, machining them, and molding them• Skilled Fabricator on CNC equipment and conventional shop tools• Utilizing CAD/CAM, gcode, and CNC milling in support of projects• Writing control code for embedded systemsDisclosable Results:•Created the industry's first flexible subcutaneous glucose sensor with integrated capillary insulin delivery channel.•Completely eliminated existing leaks in the insulin delivery system through the application of fluid mechanics and creative design.•Eliminated data signal electrical interconnect disconnect issues utilizing analytical methods to identify source and designing to eliminate them.•Eliminated coil gaps and overlaps in the helical wrapping of 50um Ti wire around a 25Ga catheter by designing, programming, and building a wrapping machine. The relationship between the lead screw pitch, wire diameter, catheter diameter made it an easy problem to solve and adding controllable friction to the supply spool provided repeatable tension. •Enabled quick programming of PCBs by designing programming jigs that interface with pogo pins.

• Generated ideas for a fixture that would assist in the production of glucose sensors• Used 3D modeling in Solidworks to design a glucose sensor fixture that wraps 50µ wire around a 0.5mm diameter base• Produced the parts for the fixture using a laser cutter and then assembled the fixture

Portland, Or, Us

• Prepared and gave lecture when professor was out of town • Graded students homework • Documented students grades

Portland, Or, Us

• Assisted individual students and groups in understanding engineering concepts • Provided tutoring in person and by email

Portland, Or, Us

• Instructed students on how to operate rapid prototyping equipment• Provided design strategies for creating functional components on prototyping equipment• Supervised students while they used the prototyping equipment

Beaverton, Oregon, Us

• Assisted customers in identifying their needs and provided the best solution• Doubled the customer base in my region every month by asking for referrals• Conducted market research to identify potential markets and worked with engineers to create solutions• Established relationships with existing clients and increased revenue on consumables• Repeatedly earned the position of top sales producer• Increased sales throughout the department by sharing spreadsheets, marketing materials, and sales techniques that I developed with coworkers