The Tech Collective, Rhode Island’s Bioscience and IT industry association, hosted its first annual RI Bioscience Awards event last week – and among the five award recipients honored that night was our Director of Quality, Michelle Wu. 

The world of consumer health care differs from the medical device sphere in numerous ways – but they both share a common goal: keeping people healthy. ‘People’ can range from the already healthy to the terminally ill, but the objective remains the same.

In the context of the consumer space, colors are typically chosen using trend analysis, analogous product research and user preference studies. Though the process is highly subjective (“I like, I feel, I want”), it helps researchers choose a color that will be successful on the market. 

This week, the University of MN hosted the Design of Medical Devices Conference, where our Co-Founder and CIO Aidan Petrie spoke in a panel discussion on collaborative device design.

With robotics on the rise in medtech today, we thought we’d highlight longstanding mentorships between Ximedica's engineers and aspiring young people in the robotics field. 

By Dean Hooper, Principal Human Factors Scientist

FDA Standard: 62366, Medical devices - Application of usability engineering to medical devices

ISO/IEC 62366 lays out a user-centered standard process that may ultimately help medical device manufacturers avoid user errors and maximize usability. Also included in the standard is a framework for the training of intended users and for the device’s accompanying documentation. It has expanded the scope of its preceding standard, which was solely for electrical medical devices (ISO/IEC 60601-1-6: Medical electrical equipment - Part 1-6: General requirements for safety - Collateral standard: Usability), to include all medical devices. The 62366 standard is often used when applying for a product’s CE marking.

By Dean Hooper, Principal Human Factors Scientist

Product development organizations have well-established processes in assessing potential hazards for both process and design. However, these processes do not traditionally apply to use error, therefore hazard management teams tend to treat the human component of systems in a superficial, non-formal way.

On February 21st, Ximedica participated in its fourth annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day (see last year's event here). The day is sponspored by the National Engineers Week Foundation, and encourages organizations to promote female participation in engineering and the sciences.

It’s no coincidence that the iPad Mini was made with proportions that fit perfectly into the pocket of a medical professional’s standard lab coat. In fact, one in three physicians surveyed recently by Epocrates said they are planning to purchase an iPad Mini for this reason. But there is more behind the tablet’s popularity with clinicians than its convenient size.

As we mentioned in last week's post, our CIO and Co-Founder Aidan Petrie spoke at the Digital Health Summit earlier this month. His session, entitled 'It's All About Me! Designing for the Healthy Consumer,' and others can now be viewed from the comfort of your desk chair.  Enjoy!