Paint

I was planning on borrowing a piece of plastic from a real MedStation and attempt to mix paint to match the color as best as possible. Fortunately, I discovered by accident that there existed MedStation touchup paint that was water-based and had a colleague order for me. I was able to obtain three bottles of "Dark Mauve" paint and a bottle of "Light Mauve" needed for the mini drawers and keyboard. One thing is for sure, you can't beat having original paint on a scale model!

Displaying a Bitmap

Being able to draw on the screen is great but I really want an image of an actual MedStation menu to be displayed. Behind the LCD display is a microSD card reader and after another evening I was able to read the data and display the bitmap (240x180). Eventually, there will be multiple images but this proof of concept is enough for me to continue moving forward.

A Working Monitor

When I proposed to management that I could have an actual display working on the scale model I knew it was possible but had never attempted it. It took me two evenings to figure it out with a lot of online help but finally managed to get something to display on the tiny screen. I told myself worst-case scenario I could always make a decal of the screen but a real one would be so much better. I was so relieved once I was able to get a demo screen to work powered by an Arduino Nano.

Carousel Drawer

I honestly thought that making a working carousel drawer would be difficult if not impossible at this scale but I proved myself wrong. A simple 1mm pin printed in the drawer allows the carousel the spin freely. The hardest issue was dividing the carousel into even pockets. I am very happy with how this particular drawer has turned out.

Front Panel

After a few tests, I figured out that the best way to glue the front panel on a drawer was to use several elastic bands otherwise the panel tended to bend inwards.

Matrix Drawer

Finally got my first functional drawer working after six prototypes, a full-height matrix-style drawer as seen in red/white. After a lot of testing, I had to print the drawer in three parts (exterior chassis, the drawer itself and the drawer faceplate). I added rails to each side to keep everything aligned properly as it slides out.

It takes 20 minutes to print a faceplate, 75 minutes to print the exterior of the drawer and another 45 minutes to print the drawer itself.

Walls

It's now starting to look like a cable car with the walls for the interior section now installed. I experienced a small issue as I added custom white bars to the inside of the windows but did not take into account the exterior wall thickness. It took a bit of trimming but I managed to squeeze it all together.

Front & Back Decals

Finished painting the front and back sections and added the decals. Added plastic windows on the front section which was not included with the kit.

 

MedStation

For some time I have been contemplating building a scale model "MedStation 4000/ES Station". I work at BD (Becton Dickinson) formerly Pyxis and supported the product for several years before becoming a software engineer. A colleague who was hired on the same day as me (August 2004) is retiring in February 2020 and with the recent purchase of my 3D printer, I decided that this would make an excellent retirement gift.

After speaking with management I got the ok to proceed so I'll be making three of them, one for my colleague, another for myself, and a third one for management.

I will be using a 1.5" TFT screen and using an Arduino mini to display a slideshow of colleagues my friend works with. Since the screen size will determine the scale of the model it came to a nice 1/10th scale which will make converting the measurements very easy to calculate!

As for the drawers which hold the medication, they will open just like the real thing. A standard MedStation has six drawers so I create the following types:

1. Mini Drawer
2. Full Height Cubie Drawer
3. Full Height Matrix with Return Bin
4. Full Height Matrix
5. Bin Drawer
6. Carousel Drawer

There will also be a red light where a nurse would place her finger (BioID) to scan to grant access.

With a 15 year relationship with the product, it should prove to be a very fun a rewarding project!

3D Printer

Today I received a package in the mail, something that I have been dreaming for many years to get and now finally obtained; a 3D printer!

After doing a lot of research I decided to go with a FlashForge Adventurer 3. While a bit more expensive than other options the reviews were great and its what I would call a high-end beginners 3D printer. I noticed that while the more economical kits ("Creality Ender 3 Pro") were enticing with larger build volumes, the tinkering involved did not interest me. Other printers that I seriously considered was the "Monoprice Select Mini Pro" but with a build volume of just 12cm³ I wasn't sure it was big enough...

Ultimately what drew me to the Adventurer 3 was the enclosure which limits dbA, printing odors and also helps contain "Volatile organic compounds" (VOCs). Another factor is that I also have three young boys and a curious cat which also told me that an enclosure was the way to go if I did not want to have issues.

The touchscreen while not a requirement was a pleasant bonus as well as WiFi connectivity. The slicer software is very easy to understand and use (FlashPrint) and overall and very happy with the selection I made from the hundreds of models available on the market.

While the purchase of the 3D printer was not solely motivated by what it can do to help me with scale modeling I am certain that this tool will no doubt will be a great asset and can't wait to use it on a project!