[2/21/2011]--"You never know where and when innovation will come. Therefore, keep thinking of new ways to approach the problem, collaborate with others, and the innovative ideas will come." -- Excerpt from Black History Month Profile of GE Innovators.
Brian Wayman (ME BS '99), a Mechanical Engineer at GE Healthcare, is currently part of a team launching enhanced seals for the canopy of the Giraffe OmniBed, MIC's hybrid incubator/warmer for premature babies.
The enhanced seals allow NICU staff to remove, clean, and replace the seals without the use of tools. This design really simplifies and improves the process of cleaning the seals and we fully expect this design to improve customer satisfaction
Brian holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining GE in July 2010, Wayman was the R&D Team Lead, New Product Development at Becton Dickinson.
Brian has several patents and patent applications for his work at Becton Dickinson on disposable syringes designed to prevent re-use of the syringe following injection. In addition, he has several publications in peer-reviewed bioengineering journals.
What is his formula for success: Willingness to accept a challenge mixed with collaboration and a few steps back to get a fresh perspective on a problem.
To his GE colleagues he suggests, "Keep the ideas coming...For every great idea, there are tons of ideas that are "not so great"! The important thing for maintaining an innovative mindset is to never become discouraged and begin to believe that you'll never find a solution."
