Keywords Fetal monitoring Medical equipment Mounting system Usability |
The brief for my diploma project was to design a medical cart for a fetal monitor for the markets in the US and Europe.
Fetal monitoring is a primary method for monitoring the fetus during childbirth. With the evolution of the monitoring process, various equipments and processes have also been developed. This project with Lumium was an attempt to take the products to the next level of healthcare. I had to design a mounting system for the fetal monitor.
The first part of the project required me to understand the healthcare system and then concentrate on maternal and fetal healthcare. I studied the present fetal monitor, its mounting system and context. The next phase included an elaborate study of the users and their behaviour towards the product. Having analyzed the various issues and gaps in the current system, I visualized possible scenarios to map design opportunities. Since the brief was open-ended, user study and identification of problem areas were critical aspects of the process. After the research stage, there came the stages through which the product was developed: ideation, conceptualization and final prototyping with CAD models.
It was a challenge to solve the usability issues, keeping in mind the price quoted by the client, and provide an aesthetic solution. The result also had to meet the standards of medical equipment design. Through this project, I learnt how to address various issues to come up with a simple universal solution. |