Personnel

Anthony Shawan, B.S.Admin (Manager)

Education: Associate of Business Marketing
Hobbies: Golf, weightlifting, camping, hiking, fishing, travel, woodworking and art.

Work History: Tony has spent the previous 20 years of his career engaged in virtually every aspect of the machine industry. The majority of his time has been dedicated to understanding the intricacies involved in the discipline of aerospace industry. Included in the realm of his career has been a requirement for the continuous acquisition of knowledge in various fields, in addition to the diverse array of responsibilities. These responsibilities have included, but are not limited to the management of personnel, capital equipment acquisition, machine design, tool design, CAD/CAM, quality control, process engineering, CNC programming and initiation of proposed projects.
Tony joined the Cleveland Clinic in December of 1999.

John Beno (Case Mechanical Engineering Student)

Ed Cloesmeyer (Res. Engr. Tech. I)

Ed went to high school and technical school in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He has worked at the Cleveland Clinic since 1982. He specializes on instrument repair, sharpening, and design. Ed had been instrumental in the development of a leg restraining device for Dr. Bergfeld and many other devices in his long history at the Clinic. Ed has been called by the Operating Room for instruments that needed immediate repair. In these cases he has had the part repaired, sterilized and returned to the OR in less then an hour.

Helmuth Kotschi (Res. Engr. Tech. I)

Work Experience: 1985 to Present – Engineering Tech. I at the Cleveland Clinic
1974 to 1985 – Tool and Die Journeyman

Helmuth has worked on a variety of systems that assist in the analysis of the effects of surgical techniques. His main objective is developing device designs that are simple yet produce a direct solution to meet a project needs. Helmuth has worked such projects as an implantable intramedullary system for bone lengthening, a surgical instrument set for the arthrodesis of the metatarsol phalangeal joint of the great toe, and an instrument to facilitate in suturing in the laparoscopic setting.

Jim Proudfit (Res. Engr. Tech. I)

Hobbies: medium format photography, skeet shooting, cars and woodworking.

26 years ago Jim started in the Department of Artificial Organs which merged with the Department of Musculoskeletal to form the Biomedical Engineering Department. He is proficient in Pro-Engineer and AutoCad and has been the primary developer, designer and fabricator of many complex mechanical devices and components over his career. Examples would include a bone screw for Melissa Knote Tate Ph.D., Tendon Grip design with an oscillating wave for Kathleen Derwin Ph.D. and a Magnetic Cell separation unit for Maciej Zborowski Ph.D. Many of his jobs entail obtaining tight tolerances on the Wire EDM (Electro Discharge Machine) and the Hardinge Super Precision Lathe.

Brian Sauer (Res. Engr. Tech. I)

Brian has 30 years of experience in machining, fabrication and equipment building, and 15 years of service with the Cleveland Clinic working in the Prototype Lab in designing, developing and manufacturing various devices for research and clinical applications. Brian is skilled in CAD and has programming experience on the CNC equipment available in the Prototype Lab. He also has a background in electrical, pneumatics and hydraulics. One of the most rewarding and challenging projects he has work on dealt with a grant from Easter Seals to test wheelchair restraints for mainline bus transit. In his spare time Brian is an avid sculler having built 3 rowing shells over the past 14 years.

Don Sutliff ( Res. Engr. Tech. II)

Don started working for the Cleveland Clinic in April of 2004 and is the newest member of the Prototype Shop's staff of Engineering Technicians. He has more than 18 years of machine tool sales experience prior to coming to the clinic. He has prior experience in the Tool & Die Industry. Don specializes in the instrument repair, sharpening and design of the department.

Walter Zimmer (Res. Engr. Tech. I)

Walter started working for the Cleveland Clinic in January of 2002, and is the newest member of the Prototype shop’s staff of Engineering Technicians. He has over ten years of machining, fixture, tooling, and prototype design experience prior to coming to the Clinic. His computer skills include AutoCad and MasterCam. He is knowledgeable in running the CNC Vertical Machining Centers, CNC Lathes, and all manual machines. He has prior experience with the Coordinate Measuring Machine and surface plate inspection. Some of the projects that Walter has worked on include “Baby Bennet Handles”, artificial heart parts, acrylic battery holders, and parts to refurbish surgical instrument sanitation systems.