R&D Mechanical Engineering Co-op | July 2025 - December 2025 | Burlington, MA
Note: Due to confidentiality agreements, I am unable to publicly share specific details or images related to my work at Abbott. However, I would be happy to discuss my overall experience and the skills and insights I gained. Feel free to reach out at condoleo.n@northeastern.edu.
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Overview
​During my six-month co-op at Abbott, I worked in the Heart Failure division as a Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) R&D Engineering Co-op. Throughout my co-op, I focused on supporting the development and verification of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Through this experience, I gained hands-on exposure to the medical device industry, particularly in design verification, test method development, and cross-functional engineering within a regulated environment.
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Responsibilities:
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Supported the research, development, and verification of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) within Abbott’s Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) portfolio.
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Led and executed multiple design verification activities, including protocol development, execution, and formal report writing aligning with regulatory standards to support product submissions.
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Traveled to external third-party test houses to support DV testing, collaborating with test engineers to ensure protocol adherence and address test issues in real time.
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Developed and refined new test methods by reviewing technical literature and external standards (IEC 60601), and helped update design input requirements to ensure clear and measurable performance criteria.
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Supported senior engineers in structured root-cause investigations, contributing to data analysis and failure-mode assessments across cross-functional teams.
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Designed and built several custom test fixtures and developed characterization protocols to evaluate mechanical and electrical performance of critical device components.
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Assisted in wet lab testing using human blood to evaluate hemolysis and thrombosis in LVAD systems, including loop setup, data collection, and interpretation of results.
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Key Skills Learned:
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SolidWorks (CAD & Drawings)
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Instron Testing
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Test Method Development
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Design Verification and Validation (V&V)
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Data Analysis and Documentation
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Protocol and Formal Report Writing
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Test Fixture Design
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Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
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Failure-Mode Assessment
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Engineering Workflows
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Medical Device Standards (IEC 60601)
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