04 Mar How to Navigate the New World of Complex Connected Consumables
As medical devices keep advancing, the consumables used in testing and therapeutics are moving forward as well, far beyond grandpa’s diabetes test strips. New semiconductors, circuitry, and sensors, along with automated production bring a whole new spectrum of functionality within reach for consumables.
The burgeoning at-home market is driving demand, along with the growth of body-worn therapeutics and delivery devices. But with new functionality comes new risks, and among the biggest risks is human error. To paraphrase Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can be misused, will be misused.”
Complex consumables are our topic du jour. Mechanical Engineer Will DeMore and Andy Rogers engage in a far-ranging discussion of the ins-and-outs of consumables development, how to avoid pitfalls, and how to engineer your way to success.
Need to know:
- The critical importance of interfaces
- How to “goof-proof” your system
- Why user experience drives design
- Common pitfalls that slow development and increase costs
The nitty-gritty:
Consumable products, whether they’re for home or clinical use, fall into two categories: single-use, such as blood-test strips, or multiple-use, such as CPAP masks. Each has its own special considerations. But regardless of whether your device is designing single-or multiple-use, a therapeutic device, testing device, or drug delivery system, interfaces are the areas where your product will succeed or fail.
Interfaces are where you’ll encounter the most constraints and most complexity in design. For example, a body-worn consumable in a home setting has an interface between the device and user, the device and electronics, the device and its physical space, as well as the device and the digital world, i.e. smartphone app.
Keep the user experience topmost in your mind and your design. It pays to put some time into “poka-yoking” your product. (Poka-yoke is the Japanese term for “mistake-proofing”.) It can be as simple as a “This side up” sticker, color-coding, or creating a plug-in that only works one way, a la Apple.
Consider how many, and what type of sensors are needed. If you’re dealing with gases or liquids, you’ll need a reliable seal to prevent backflow and cross-contamination – preferably with haptic feedback – so your user knows when the connection is secure. For multi-use consumables, factors like ingress protection, and cleanability and durability, come into play.
Depending on the type of device, you can upgrade interfaces at development, or add them later. The important thing is to take a risk-based approach in your design. Think ahead and design to assembly to reduce time and scrap. Think about cost vs. benefit of upgrades. And of course, safety first.
The bottom line on complex consumables, whether starting from scratch or adding new functionality to an existing device, is to look for places to add value. Optimize the user experience. Add new data or new connectivity. Prompt the user when it’s time to re-supply. The more you succeed in simplifying a complex consumable for the user, the more successful your product will be.
HELPFUL LINKS:
https://sixsigmadsi.com/poka-yoke/
A history nerd at heart, Alexis fits right into the quirky culture at Key Tech (though she still can’t speak binary). Weekends are spent chasing her two boys and spending time on her boat.
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