COURSE: DESIGN OF BIOMEDICAL DEVICES

Lecture: Design factors

Biomedical design is a creative and research activity within which
performs selection and analysis of relevant data and factors in
order to innovate products, to optimize its functions and
improve quality.

To achieve the new research contribution, biomedical design

must either solve a problem that has not yet been resolved, or to
provide a more efficient solution.
Function as a factor
of design
The number of functions a product has to perform significantly
affects its design.

Exactly what is the product going to do?

Electric Hospital Bed Thermometer

In any product design specification there are always some
aspects that are more important than others.

These needs can be divided into either:

• Primary or
• Secondary functions.
The PRIMARY functions are those that are vital for the design to
do its job.

The SECONDARY functions are those which, although

important, could be compromised for the benefit of the primary
functions.

Dividing the specification up in this way helps you to priorities,

especially in the early stages of a design, and allows you to
focus on the important aspects of the product.
Purpose as factor of
design
 A product should do the job it was designed for.

When considering purpose, the designer should be

clear about what the product must do, where it is likely
to be used and who will use it.
All the essential and desirable features of the product
should be clearly researched and checked during the
evaluation.

Any secondary features will be a bonus and may help

give the product an advantage over its competitors in
the market place.
Inhaler for children and adults
For some types of products is a big difference between low-
capacity products intended for retail (individual) application and
a high-capacity product intended for group (central) application.
The differences lie in their capacity, size, embodiment …
Size as factor of
design
Sizes of some products, or details on them, such as the grip
handle, for functional reasons, can not "grow" in proportion to
the size of the growth of other parts of the product.
Type of material as
factor of design
With quickly increasing healthcare costs and improving
technology, designers across the medical device industry are
being tasked to increase performance and decrease costs
associated with their products.

One of the most effective methods for performance

enhancement and cost cutting is metal-to-plastic conversion.
Plastics can be used to replace even the strongest and stiffest
steel devices by incorporating simple design modifications.
High-performance polymers offer the same level of strength and
rigidity as some metals at ambient temperature, along with
added advantages.

They deliver cost benefits, enhanced aesthetics, and ergonomic

improvements such as a range of grip options.

High-performance polymers can also be colored, thus enabling

the production of devices in a variety of sizes that can be easily
and quickly identified in the operating room.
Ergonomic as factor
of design
Ergonomics is a science focused on the study of human fit, and
decreased fatigue and discomfort through product design.
Knowing how the study of anthropometry, posture, repetitive
motion, and workspace design affects the user is critical to a
better understanding of ergonomics as they relate to end-user
needs.
When designing products it is important to remember that
people come in many sizes and shapes.
Aesthetics as factor
of design
Appearance is not equally important in all kinds of products, but
there are no such products where it is not important.
Depending on the function and purpose of the product is
determined by the significance of his appearance.
Consumers demand functionality, expect usability and are
seeking products that that elicit other feelings such as pleasure
or that strike a certain emotional chord.
All other things equal, most users will prefer a beautiful artifact
to an ugly artifact, even in highly functional domains such as
scientific instruments.

Thus, beauty can be thought of as “just another attribute” in a

user’s evaluation of preference, alongside durability, ease of use,
cost, and safety.
Handheld-medical-product-design-1
Examples of changes to different design features, such as
geometric shape (area, volume), sizes, colors and textures to
achieve the aesthetic quality of the inhaler.
Aria_Family Aria_Family
Manufacture as
factor of design
When we think of a product design we generally first think of
how to please the customer.

However, we also need to consider how easy or difficult it is to

manufacture the product. Otherwise, we might have a great idea
that is difficult or too costly to manufacture.

Design for manufacture (DFM) is a series of guidelines that we

should follow to produce a product easily and profitably.
DFM guidelines focus on two issues:
• Design simplification means reducing the number of parts and
features of the product whenever possible. A simpler product
is easier to make, costs less, and gives us higher quality.
• Design standardization refers to the use of common and
interchangeable parts. By using interchangeable parts we can
make a greater variety of products with less inventory and
significantly lower cost and provide greater flexibility.
Examples of changes to toolbox, from 20 parts to 2 parts.
Assembly as factor of
design
When defining the form of part from the point of assembly it is
very important form of part to prevent the possibility of incorrect
assembly that may occur due to insufficient attention from
operator.

The simplest way, which may prevent the possibility of incorrect

assembly is the elimination of asymmetries by creating
symmetrical parts, if it does not disturb their functioning.
Modification of axisymmetric parts
Recycling as factor of
design
The design is simplified by minimizing components – the entire
iron is held together by a single bolt for ease of repairability and
the potential to elongate the product’s life.

It also enables fast disassembly at the end of its life to reclaim

materials for recycling
Ecology as factor of
design
Design for Environment (DFE) is a method to minimize or
eliminate environmental impacts of a product over its life cycle.

Effective DFE practice maintains or improves product quality and

cost while reducing environmental impacts.

DFE expands the traditional manufacturer’s focus on the

production and distribution of its products to a closed-loop life
cycle.
 Materials Production

Disposal Distribution

Use
Product Life Cycle
Two Life Cycles
 Post-industrial
Recycling

Extraction Materials Production

Resource
Post-
Remanufacturing
s consumer
Recycling
Natural Industrial
“Bio” “Product”
Natural Life Cycle Life Cycle
Distribution
Decay Recovery
Reuse
Disposal

Deposit Use

Two Life Cycles

 Four Simple DFE Rules
1. Design products and processes with industrial materials that can be
recycled continually with no loss in performance, thereby creating new
industrial materials.
2. Design products and processes with natural materials that can be fully
returned to the earth’s natural cycles, thereby creating new natural
materials.
3. Design products and processes that do not produce unnatural, toxic
materials that cannot be safely processed by either natural or industrial
cycles.
4. Design products and processes with clean, renewable sources of energy,
rather than fossil fuels.