On Nov. 6th, our first-year math and science course students received lectures taught by Professor Nakamura Morihiko from the faculty of medicine and acquired hands-on experience. This program started 13 years ago, but this was the first year to do this remotely to prevent coronavirus infections. After the students received lectures, they got to actually try and use the devices and systems developed by Prof. Nakamura.
In the morning, they observed the fluorescence of Zinc oxide nanoparticles, tried a hands-free voice recognition system and used magnetic clamps. After lunch, they tried Luminurse LED lights, an unlimited recipe creation system for those who are on restricted diets, and tried on arm guards to prevent medical accidents during infusions. For the development of those devices and systems, Prof. Nakamura and several companies in Shimane worked together and they have patents in Japan and in other countries. They heard the needs of patients and people who work in hospitals, such as “I wish there were a device or system for a situation like this.” or “I wonder if there is a way to do this more easily or more safely.” They tried hard to meet these demands and repeated trial and error before accomplishing their goals. Students were strongly impressed by their efforts.
Even though it was our first time to do this online, students got to experience as much they would have if they visited the campus. Since we were able to hold a summary session online, we had special guests. People who were involved with the development of those devices and systems were kind enough to participate in this session and they encouraged our students and answered their questions. Through this experience, students did not just become very interested in medicine and learning at Shimane University, but they also learned that the field of medicine cannot be separated from other fields such as science and engineering. They seemed to gain an interest in finding a way to contribute to their community in their own ways.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to Prof. Nakamura for his efforts and his time spent to make this possible.
