Medical Design Goes Back to School

Originally Published MDDI July 2002

NEWS & ANALYSIS

The tremendous pressure to be first to market with new products is prompting medical manufacturers to consider new strategies in product development. One way could be to use a design school's pool of talented students, which not only serves current needs but can also be an effective recruitment tool.

For example, a partnership between the Illinois Institute of Technology's Institute of Design (ID; Chicago) and Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center (Chicago) allows design students to take a hands-on approach to study. Working in the Rush hospital catheterization lab, ID student Brian Stonecipher observed that the equipment used was not well suited to the needs of infants, who constituted a large segment of the patients.

Based on detailed field observations in the lab, and interviews with technicians, nurses, and physicians, Stonecipher developed the PediaPod, an accessory that safely and comfortably holds infant patients during procedures.

The device recently received a gold award in the student category of the 2002 IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Awards.

Copyright ©2002 Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry