Medical Device Design: Applying a Human-Centered Design Methodology. Issue 1 (June 2017) - Bowman, Matthew L.
The OcuCheck is a novel ocular device that will disrupt the healthcare industry by reducing the need for Slit Lamps when evaluating corneal integrity. Ocular leaks should be detected and repaired quickly for the best vision outcomes. Patient comfort, user needs, and usability informed the design of the device. Key design objectives included ease of use by persons with all levels of skill, portability, and the ability to assess the patient regardless of the patient's position or level of consciousness. We utilized a human-centric design approach, driven by the needs of both the patient and medical professionals, to elicit visual cues, patterns of behavior, and product design opportunities. We incorporated sociology, ergonomics, sustainability, human factors, business models, and marketing into the development process early on and worked in parallel with the engineers to integrate the needs of the user from the very beginning. Design, research, and prototype testing were focused upon use of materials, patient needs, ease of use, scale, location of device when not in use, and product protocols. Rather than simply creating a utilitarian solution we strove to pre-empt usability and implementation challenges through use of empathy.