Immerse Yourself
The University of Utah is more and more becoming a creative campus, with a multi-disciplinary approach to training and education. In the Summer of 2012 I was asked to be part of a pioneering program called the Summer BioImmersion program. It was a ten-week series that gathered five designers and five bioengineers, and grouped us together to observe surgeries in the clinical setting, evaluate our observations, learn about the procedures, and ideate on possible opportunities for improvements or solutions to problems.
The whole idea for this program was to immerse students into the patient and clinician experience. With the combined backgrounds of both designers and bioengineers each person would offer great contributions of creativity, systematic processes, and varied analytical and abstract perspectives. The product of this mixture was many brilliant ways of discovering needs in laparoscopic surgeries as well as some very viable solutions and ideas.
We were put into small teams of twos and threes. Me as a student designer had the opportunity of working with two talented bioengineering students. After being able to watch several laparoscopic surgeries, and through performing several idea scoring sessions among our group, we ultimately arrived to the conclusion that one of the biggest and most relevant needs to this particular surgery was that of freeing up the surgical site by eliminating and decreasing the amount of cords and tubes, used for laparoscopic surgery.
So much of what the doctors and their team do requires swift and immediate actions. Often the power cords and wires to the instruments are limiting motion and interfering with free mobility. While the length and scope of this program did not allow for further concept of our needs statement, we did conceptualize on different possible solutions involving wireless transmission technologies for cameras, battery powered consoles for power delivery, and automatic retractable systems for necessary tubes and cords. Providing these technologies would make laparoscopic surgeries more efficient and could improve safety during surgery for both the patient and the surgical team.
This coincides with my initial opportunity statement by allowing me experience in medical device design. From this experience I learned a very valuable process:
The Summer BioImmersion program was a great opportunity for me to really gain experience as a medical product designer. That same process and practice will allow me to further design products and processes that will better conform to the social and physical needs of patients and clinicians.
The whole idea for this program was to immerse students into the patient and clinician experience. With the combined backgrounds of both designers and bioengineers each person would offer great contributions of creativity, systematic processes, and varied analytical and abstract perspectives. The product of this mixture was many brilliant ways of discovering needs in laparoscopic surgeries as well as some very viable solutions and ideas.
We were put into small teams of twos and threes. Me as a student designer had the opportunity of working with two talented bioengineering students. After being able to watch several laparoscopic surgeries, and through performing several idea scoring sessions among our group, we ultimately arrived to the conclusion that one of the biggest and most relevant needs to this particular surgery was that of freeing up the surgical site by eliminating and decreasing the amount of cords and tubes, used for laparoscopic surgery.
So much of what the doctors and their team do requires swift and immediate actions. Often the power cords and wires to the instruments are limiting motion and interfering with free mobility. While the length and scope of this program did not allow for further concept of our needs statement, we did conceptualize on different possible solutions involving wireless transmission technologies for cameras, battery powered consoles for power delivery, and automatic retractable systems for necessary tubes and cords. Providing these technologies would make laparoscopic surgeries more efficient and could improve safety during surgery for both the patient and the surgical team.
This coincides with my initial opportunity statement by allowing me experience in medical device design. From this experience I learned a very valuable process:
- Gain education about the specific issue you are dealing with. In this case we were very well instructed by Dr. Langell and his team of residents.
- Immerse yourself in the situation. We were able to meet the patient before surgery, watch the entire procedure, follow the patient to recovery, and make post op interviews with the patient. The surgeons and nurses also created a very open environment that allowed us to ask questions and be involved.
- Ideate with the group. In both large and small group settings we were able to throw our ideas out there, and just brainstorm without filters.
- Rate and validate your ideas. After we narrowed our ideas to just a few, we ranked them according to specific parameters, and interviewed the surgeons about the validity of what we had come up with.
- Conceptualize and test. The next phase was one we did not get a lot of hands on experience with, but once the ideas are validated the process of concept models and testing give great readings for direction of design as well as economic indicators for how financially viable an idea really will be.
The Summer BioImmersion program was a great opportunity for me to really gain experience as a medical product designer. That same process and practice will allow me to further design products and processes that will better conform to the social and physical needs of patients and clinicians.