The students of the Master in Product Design and the Degree in Engineering collaborate with the Hospital Clínic to contribute to the improvement of medical devices
The projects of the Master in Product Design and Development seeks to empower the role of industrial design engineering in the field of healthcare and to contribute through product design to the improvement of devices used in hospitals such as Hospital Clínic.
From the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering, the students have also collaborated with the Clínic in the improvement of incubators for premature babies. These devices allow babies to be kept in a controlled environment in critical care units, although they present opportunities for improvement in different aspects, both in the design and development of the product.
In order to identify these aspects to be improved in the redesign of the incubator, an immersion was made in the environment of premature babies, directly observing the different tasks of the staff of the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) and interviewing the medical, nursing and maintenance staff.
The students have developed the following projects as solutions for the current problems detected:
Shortlisted James Dyson Awards and winner of the Elisava Master Awards, Product Design Category.
Airflow is a spirometer that helps patients who suffer a postoperative complication, such as a partial or total collapse of the lung. The aim is to enable the user to recover the potential of their lungs by performing lung therapy. Thanks to a helix and an infrared detector, the volume and flow of air that the patient inhales through the tube is measured. The collected data is sent to the Airflow app, which can be easily viewed by the patient and the physician. Airflow has a modular design that allows to increase or decrease the difficulty of the exercises and to be able to perform a progressive therapy.
Master Students: Mikel Smithers, Mayara Raisa Reisdorfer, Aitor Arkarazo, Germán Tomás Hernández, Pablo Sacristan.
Elisava Tutors: Xavi Riudor, Salva Fàbregas.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
Shortlisted James Dyson Awards.
Hydroalcoholic gel dispenser inspired by the saline solution bags used in hospitals. The challenge was to create a universal holder for soap and hydroalcoholic solution, as a variety of bottles and holders are often used. Thus, it was decided to develop a bag as the least limiting and most adaptable form. This design meets all the requirements of easy installation, proper cleaning and portability.
Master Students: Guillermo Ferrer, Pablo Frechilla, Asier González, Ignacia Mayorga, David Soto.
Elisava Tutors : Xavi Riudor, Salva Fàbregas.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
Shortlisted James Dyson Awards.
2NDSKIN is a new healthcare product bedridden patients who have difficulty going to the toilet. The current hospital wedge is not very ergonomic and can cause ulcers or marks due to the rigid material. The proposed new design is based on the shape of the human body itself and is divided into a solid inner part, made of PLA (polyactic acid), and the surface part, made of surgical silicone, a safe and skin-friendly material.
Master students: Juan Leal, Marina Vera, Oihane Ardanaz, Lucía Buño, Lidia Varona.
Elisava Tutors: Xavi Riudor, Salva Fàbregas.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
Shortlisted James Dyson Awards.
Vivo is a pediatric assistant that creates an atmosphere to improve the emotional well-being of the patient. It turns the patient’s room into a pleasant, playful and warm place. The device has a screen and a projector that rotates internally. It is also connected to an app with categories such as procedures and emotions to regulate the user’s circadian cycle and improve their well-being.
Master Students: Luis Gabriel Forero, Julio Cesar Tellez, Lorenzo Fanelli, Laura Görbitz, Zeus Romanillos, Andrei Ivan Kriljenko.
Elisava Tutors: Xavi Riudor, Salva Fàbregas.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
Redesign of the IV drip stand, with the aim of improving stability and safety. It promotes early patient mobilization, minimizing negative effects on their health, advancing the time of medical discharge, and freeing up healthcare system resources. The redesign maximizes stability of the assembly through the base, weight distribution, and low and ergonomic support point.
Master students: Liam Kelly, Erik Obermüller, Ibai Gil, Sílvia Rodríguez, Albert Sadurní.
Elisava Tutors: Xavi Riudor, Salva Fàbregas.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
Shortlisted James Dyson Awards.
NeoShell is an incubator for newborns, whose oval shape solves the problems of accessibility, cleaning, opacity and safety of the current incubators by means of a double dome system. These two domes combine to provide regulable opacities and adjustable windows with infinite possibilities to facilitate the work of healthcare staff. In addition, the inclination prevents newborns from choking. The oval, electronically operated design also reduces noise.
Undergraduate students: Pablo Padrós, Carmen Guerra, Alex Bretaudeau, Miguel Clotet, David Riolo, María Fernández, Marcel del Valle, Emma Brugué, Ainara Rico.
Elisava Tutor: Xavi Riudor.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Óscar García, Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
Nominat James Dyson Awards.
Neosine is a medical device that reduces noise inside incubators for newborns. By imitating the environment of the mother’s womb, this device prevents hearing deprivation of heartbeats, breathing or voices. It uses active sound cancellation through a loudspeaker that emits sounds from the parents. For greater accessibility and to avoid renovating existing spaces, Neosine is a stand-alone, self-contained device that can be inserted or removed as desired.
Undergraduate student: David Riol Garcia.
Elisava Tutor: Xavi Riudor.
Hospital Clínic Tutors: Óscar García, Mario García, Núria Ruiz.
These projects have been nominated for the James Dyson Awards, which recognise the talent of engineering and product design students. The jury assesses the students’ proposals, which start with a national phase and go on to reach an international level and consider a possible commercialisation of the devices in the market. This year James Dyson is looking for entries that address sustainability issues or have been manufactured in a sustainable way.