Myrna Instrument & TriVerity Test
Sepsis, responsible for one in five global deaths, has likely touched the lives of everyone, either directly or indirectly. Each hour’s delay in treatment escalates mortality by 8%, underscoring the deadly consequences of slow and inaccurate diagnostics. We urgently need a rapid, precise diagnostic tool to transform outcomes, saving lives where every second counts in urgent care settings.
Inflammatix's TriVerity, a breakthrough in sepsis diagnostics, uses advanced AI and host response analysis for rapid, accurate identification of infection types and severity within 30 minutes. This pioneering technology cuts diagnostic times, enhances accuracy, and provides prognostic capabilities, ensuring timely treatment and reducing mortality risks in urgent care.
The Myrna Instrument and TriVerity test epitomize simplicity in a complex environment, designed for the high-stress settings of emergency departments. Its straightforward operation masks the sophisticated AI and host response technologies within. Operation is deceptively simple, streamlining complex processes to facilitate quick, accurate diagnostics. The device requires minimal interaction: a patient-drawn tube is inserted into a single-use cartridge, and the test begins with a single touch. An integrated barcode scanner efficiently handles multiple verifications—checking the test type, cartridge validity, sample ID, and expiration date. This device uniquely determines both the presence of infection and the severity of illness, offering crucial diagnostic and prognostic insights for managing sepsis.
The user interface, free from clutter, features intuitive prompts and animations, catering to different user preferences and highlighted with consistent design language for essential actions. The streamlined approach not only reduces cognitive load but also encapsulates all necessary supplies and waste within each consumable, enhancing safety and usability.
A (pre-approval) explanatory video can be found here.
REAL Immersive System
The REAL Immersive System is a simple, portable rehabilitation tool that can be used at the patient’s bedside, in a therapy gym, or a mobile health location. It is an immersive virtual reality and display system that tracks upper extremity rehabilitation exercises for adults who have symptoms related to stroke or neurodegenerative diseases. It is the first VR system that is purpose-built from the ground up for rehabilitation in a healthcare environment.
Its components are a VR headset, sensors, and a tablet with an app that allows the clinician to administer and monitor the therapy session. Upon powering on, the patient is immediately immersed in VR, engaging in visual challenges guided by their therapist. Electromagnetic tracking allows the therapist to be wherever they need to be around their patient without disrupting position tracking, creating a more stable and consistent user experience. The sensors are attached with soft neoprene bands, and in less than two minutes of set-up, the patient is working in a virtual world with their full-presence avatar.
Industrial design contributor
Nano Operative Arthroscopy System
The Arthrex NanoScope system uses high-definition, chip-on-tip image sensor technology to provide surgeons with a needle-sized, single-use camera system. The portability of the imaging system allows the surgeon to perform minimally invasive arthroscopy in the operating room with NanoScope as the main camera system or as an adjunct to a traditional camera. The novelty of this device is that these procedures can be performed in a treatment room or in the physician’s office.
One important value that this device offers is that it provides a new option to MRI imaging, thus saving considerable cost, time, and the hassle associated with a second visit to seek a diagnosis.
The goal of the program was to enable Arthrex to enter a new market area with a product designed from the ground up. Human factors and design research played an important role in its development.
An explanatory video can be found here.
Industrial Design Contributor
Pheno Cellular Analysis System
The Pheno system rapidly analyzes blood samples to detect and aid in the treatment of sepsis. The system does this by automating the process to reduce time and errors, delivering actionable results.
The goal of the project was to streamline the procedure for the laboratory technician by simplifying the consumable while providing simple points of contact with the system. The enclosure design conveys an elegance while hinting at the speed of the system that lies beneath.
Industrial Design Contributor
Art Installation - Camera Lucida
As a designer, I have always sought out interesting opportunities to volunteer my time while utilizing my professional skill-set. When I took part in applying for an art installation grant for the Black Rock City Honorarium for for the annual Burning Man event, I knew that this was the side project that I had been looking for.
The team and I set out to construct a piece of pop art. Entitled Camera Lucida, the sculpture was a Victorian era bellows camera scaled up 10x that used fire as the flash to light the subjects of its photography. A crucial part of the experience was that users were given the option to control the flash (i.e., the fire aspects of the sculpture). This project had its challenges, not the least of which was being at the mercy of mother nature and her powerful winds and dust storms once we were out in the desert raising the sculpture in the days leading up to the event, but the project was a great success.
As artists, we went to Burning Man to share an experience with others and to provide a place to gather and be delighted. What we received as a reward was a feeling of great accomplishment - and gratitude in spades.
Designer
Argus II Retinal Prosthesis System
The Argus II is the world's first FDA approved device intended to restore vision to those with a specific type of blindness. This remarkable device communicates with an implant that interfaces with the optic nerve in order to provide feedback of shapes, light, and shadow.
Extensive research revealed that users wanted nothing more than to look 'normal'. The greatest design challenge was hiding the apparent technological elements of the system in a package that is also comfortable to wear for a wide range of users for extended periods of time. A purposfully conservative wayfarer influenced styling informs a gender neutral aesthetic.
Industrial Design Lead
Zalviso Application System
An intuitive interface is a safety requirement for a device that delivers potent pain medication. AcelRx's Zalviso Application System delivers error-free ease of use for both busy nurses and compromised patients and can hold its own amidst modern consumer product interfaces.
With the goal of appropriately interfacing with a patient recovering from major surgery and a supervising nurse, the design is polished and professional, but still gentle and unintimidating.
Design Contributor
C-Digit Chemiluminescence Western Blot Scanner
The C-DiGit scanner, used to detect proteins in biochemical assays, is designed to simplify and reduce the cost and environmental impact of a Western Blot. It is the first affordable film replacement that allows researchers to quickly scan a blot directly, while eliminating cost, time, and chemical waste-producing film.
Communicating a consumer product influenced look and feel, while integrating the device into a disparate legacy family of products presented the primary aesthetic challenges of the project.
Industrial Design Contributor
Freestyle Optium Neo Blood Glucose Meter
The Neo blood glucose monitor offers innovative features such as insulin dosing support in a slim, friendly package. With considerable product cost constraints, Neo uses buttons behind the display in order to create a mock touch screen interface to allow the user to input data and gather information on blood glucose trends. Neo was the first e-ink meter on the market.
Industrial Design Contributor
iQue Cell Screening System
The iQue Screener transforms laboratory flow cytometry detection into a high throughput screening platform by eliminating the manual nature and "expert-required" aspects of this method. This system allows automated processing and analysis of plates in minutes instead of hours and expedites the process of drug discovery.
Prior to the redesign, potential customers failed to see that the system’s value was so much more than the sum of its parts. The iQue Screener’s design reinforces the system’s state-of-the-art performance. Intellicyt cites a number of cases in which customers have purchased the system without having seen it in operation. The iQue Screener makes a strong case for the ability of design to communicate the key attributes of a product.
Industrial Design Lead
Tidal COPD Inhaler
The Tidal COPD Inhaler uses sensors and power to assist treatment for those with severe COPD. Differing from the necessary coordinated dosing of traditional inhalers, the Tidal Inhaler allows the user to breathe naturally during treatment in order to dose. Each cartridge contains 60 doses that can be used for rescue as well as a scheduled medication regimen.
Industrial Design Lead
iRay Wet AMD Treatment System
The iRay system treats advanced wet macular degeneration in a revolutionary fashion by providing precisely targeted X-ray beams to the eye. The system positions the eye to safely treat the patient, while providing a comfortable, quick, and stress-free out patient experience.
Ergonomics of fitting a wide range of operators and patients in an international market was the most important and difficult challenge. Patient comfort is a vital part of a successful iRay procedure. Streamlined operator steps reduce procedure time and increased overall patient comfort.
Industrial Design Lead
Respiratory Disease Monitoring Device
The Breeze Spirometer is a product demonstration for monitoring and managing various respiratory diseases.
The device would allow patients to measure their lung capacity through simple readings. Data could then be collected in order for a patient or health care professional to observe trends and progress over time. In using the simple metaphor of a dandelion, the device provides a nontraditional output of data, and brings an element of delight to the user.
The Breeze device was a valuable exercise in close interdisciplinary collaboration, marrying of industrial design, user interface design, and engineering.
Design Lead
