Medical Device Link.

Originally Published MX May/June 2004

BUSINESS PLANNING & TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

For most design and development firms, the road to achieving product excellence can be long and arduous. Yet while most principals involved in product development describe the process as challenging, they say the process is ultimately rewarding.

The CoolGard 3000 by Alsius Corp. (Irvine, CA) balances form with function.

For Stuart Karten Design (SKD; Marina del Rey, CA), a project that involved developing the CoolGard 3000 intravascular temperature management system by Alsius Corp. (Irvine, CA), posed a challenge to the company's design and engineering teams, says Stuart Karten, founder of SKD. "The mechanical arrangement of a complex array of components had to be thoroughly thought out and integrated into a unified product that visually reflected the high level of precision the unit offers to neurointensive care patients," he says. "The user interface in particular needed to be clear and simple, while still able to convey complex details. All aspects of the design and engineering were considered in light of user-centered research, to find a solution that balances the product's form and function."

The GeneChip Scanner 3000 by Affymetrix Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) combines efficiency with approachable design.

A recent project for Design Continuum involved helping Affymetrix Inc. (Santa Clara, CA) develop the GeneChip Scanner 3000, says Kevin Young, principal industrial designer for Design Continuum. "The product was intended to be the flagship scanner for a new line of products by Affymetrix that were to have a highly approachable image," he says. "Unlike other laboratory equipment that can appear unapproachable and slightly aloof, the GeneChip Scanner 3000 needed to be able to convey awesome intelligence without being intimidating. The team at Design Continuum had to uncover the design cues that would elicit the correct emotional response from the product's purchasers and users."

The Endoscopic Full-Thickness Plicator by NDO Surgical Inc. (Mansfield, MA) is lightweight and ergonomic. (click to enlarge)

"The work Item New Product Development (Providence, RI) recently did with NDO Surgical Inc. (Mansfield, MA) for the company's Endoscopic Full-Thickness Plicator presented a challenge that couldn't be solved with a printed circuit board," says David Robson, development director at Item. "The team at Item applied old-fashioned mechanical ingenuity to compress dozens of parts into a small, lightweight, ergonomic, handheld device that combined force and functionality through its features and tactile safety feedback."

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