Alex Looi

Experience

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  Welch Allyn

  Aug 2008 - Aug 2019

  Senior Electronic Engineer

  Project: Electrocardiograph1. Contributed to the hardware design of an electrocardiograph, focusing on the ECG circuit, thermal printing circuit, and I/O boards (USB and Ethernet).2. Participated in the hardware design of a charging station for a thermometer.3. Conducted power budgeting for battery-operated devices and performed power analysis to reduce power consumption.4. Developed protocols for device testing and qualification.5. Gained familiarity with medical device standards, including IEC 60601-1, 60601-2-25, 60601-2-51, EC11, safety, and EMC standards.6. Developed a self-calibration method for an optical sensor to increase yield.7. Established an ECG test lab to conduct testing per medical standards.8. Created a cost-effective benchtop Radiated Immunity (RI) simulator, successfully used to troubleshoot and resolve RI issues. Show less

• 

  Hillrom

  Aug 2019 - Dec 2022

  Project: Maternity Bed1. Led an external design house to develop a maternity bed for the China market.2. Conducted dynamic loading tests to evaluate loads experienced by actuators during movement, determining the appropriate actuator rating.3. Defined electrical testing protocols and criteria for the supplier, including thermal performance, electrical safety tests, and battery life assessments.4. Performed derating/stress analysis for electrical components and actuators.5. Assisted the mechanical team in identifying the root cause (mounting angle) of actuator loading spikes during movement.6. Collaborated with the external design team to develop a strategy (hardware + software) that extended battery standby life from less than one day to over ten days. Show less Project: Air Mattress System1. Appointed as Technical Lead to coordinate across functions (electrical, software and mechanical teams), providing guidance to develop a controller unit that regulates airflow to air bladders via a solenoid valve manifold and a three-phase BLDC motor blower.2. Oversaw scheduling and planning for the electrical function of the project.3. Defined the electrical system architecture, power budget, and component derating.4. Specified pneumatic system algorithms and state machines for software development.5. Created a test structure (test menu through serial communication port) to allow cross-functional control (EE, SW, ME, V&V) without requiring multiple software versions.6. Defined test setups for ME and V&V teams to measure pneumatic system air leakage.7. Managed vendor collaboration to resolve issues with reused key components, such as blower sensor glitches and solenoid manifold overheating.8. Worked with Manufacturing to establish test system requirements and specifications.9. Designed with pressure and temperature sensors, three-phase BLDC motors, stepper motors, CAN, USB, and LCD displays.10. Developed foundational knowledge in fluid mechanics concepts (Bernoulli Equation, Venturi Effect, Ideal Gas Law, Fan Law). Show less

  • Lead Engineer

    Sept 2021 - Dec 2022

  • Snr R&D Engineer (Electrical)

    Aug 2019 - Aug 2021
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  Baxter International Inc.

  Jan 2023 - now

  Principal R&D Engineer

  Project: Airway Clearance with Ventilation1. Troubleshot issues related to lung pressure and tidal volume drop when inline ventilation was introduced to the Airway Clearance Device.2. Studied the mechanisms of hospital ventilators vs. home-use ventilators to aid troubleshooting.3. Developed a test setup for data collection and analysis.4. Identified the source of air leakage, proposed solutions, and evaluated corresponding trade-offs in performance.5. Led product transfer from the US to a Singapore-based contract manufacturer (CM).6. Acted as project manager for the local CM, coordinating project quotations, schedules, and aligning information with the overall project plan.7. Evaluated the cost impact of various manufacturing options, including assembly in the US, Singapore, or China, and analyzed the import duty implications of each region.8. Collaborated with Manufacturing Engineers to determine line setup, equipment requirements, and deliverables from the CM for prototype build.9. Gained knowledge in product logistics, import taxes, and labeling requirements, particularly between the US, Taiwan, and China. Show less