MPO Article: Medical Device Design for Smaller and Smarter MedTech

Developers of medtech are asked to reduce the size of devices, and fortunately, can take advantage of newer tools that better enable them to do just that.

Mark Crawford of MPO (Medical Product Outsourcing) magazine recently asked Product Creation Studio to share insights, advice, and commentary on current trends and advances in design technology, tools, materials, and process. Our CEO, Cameron Smith, shared his thoughts in Mark’s article “Medical Device Design for Smaller and Smarter MedTech.”

Here’s an excerpt:

Product development in the medical device industry is booming. Devices are becoming smaller and smarter, especially for the expanding number of less-invasive procedures being developed. Making diagnostic instruments and devices that battle COVID-19 are still a top priority. Greater design attention is being focused on meeting FDA and other regulatory standards. New devices are often Internet of Things-driven, with sensors and data capabilities, that are then further shaped through human-factors engineering.

“As these parts and mechanisms get smaller, building prototypes for evaluation by surgeons becomes a challenge that requires creativity, expertise, and a good vendor network,” said Cameron Smith, CEO of Product Creation Studio, a Seattle, Wash.-based team of engineers and designers that help MDMs design and develop new products.

…Another common request by MDMs is the development of tools that combine multiple functions into a single tool. This is especially true for tools or instruments used in procedures that are performed through a small incision or port, where the time to change tools can significantly slow things down. “The CAD software has no problem modeling ever smaller assemblies—however, building and testing them during the early development rounds is what keeps our teams busy,” said Smith.

….To further accelerate the development process, Product Creation Studio has invested in several PocketNC V2-10 and V2-50 5-Axis desktop mills that allow its engineers to rapidly develop multiple iterations of very small complex precision parts, in-house. “These machines have allowed us to quickly create the parts we need, adjust the design, and create new parts within days, not weeks,” said Smith. “The ability to quickly machine engineering plastics like 30-percent-glass-fill PEEK or 17-4PH900 stainless steel in-house has reduced our development schedules and overall project costs.”