Miniaturizing technology to make a marketing impact
Zoll TherOx
SSO2 Therapy
TherOx has introduced an innovative device that effectively treats heart attack survivors with superoxygenated blood. Commercially available and currently in use, this device’s size makes it impractical as a presentation tool for gaining adoption. Humanfactors developed a miniaturized demonstration device that reproduces the oxygenation process to present to physicians who may be interested in pursuing the treatment for their patients.
This analogue device will display at trade shows around the world. As such, it must take into consideration a variety of criteria to ensure it’s durable enough to withstand the journey, easy to set up and use, convenient to transport, effective and accurate in depicting the technology, and engaging enough to lure people to the Therox display for a closer look and a conversation. It serves as a conduit between cardiologist and Therox, helping to build interest in Therox’s healthcare solutions and forging meaningful relationships within the healthcare world.
Engineering
Taken independently, miniaturization, fluidics, and frequent device-transport present unique challenges for products. Combine them into a single device—an analogue intended to demonstrate an innovative medical treatment—and these complexities begin to compound quickly.
A dynamic, compact encasement housed a complex of system controls, actuators, pumps, and hydraulics which had to be precisely coordinated in order to demonstrate the specialized fluid dynamics of TherOx’s O2 treatment. This case had to be durable enough to withstand the rigors of frequent travel, display, and demonstration, and provide access to components requiring periodic cleaning and replacement by non-engineers.
Conceptualization
Concepts were based on one primary driver: can this Exhibit draw doctors to TherOx’s booth for a conversation about this novel treatment? So the heart of the system—the cartridge—needed to be on full display. But careful consideration also needed to be given to the TherOx team who would be demonstrating the technology, so proportion, scale, and other critical design features needed to help them discuss with doctors and surgeons the science behind the therapy.
Modeling
With each and every component, structural member, and subassembly carefully mapped out and integrated within the device housing, CAD modeling could ensure that the envelope could accommodate fabrication, functionality, and user access.
But CAD geometry (and sketches, for that matter) only tell part of the story. Full-scale modeling was essential to ensuring that this Exhibit presented the cartridge in a way that simultaneously demonstrated its novel innovations, serving as an effective beacon for physicians, and providing an effective platform for TherOx’s team to engage their stakeholders.
Zoll TherOx’s SSO2Technology
SSO2 Therapy is a localized hyperoxemic oxygen infusion for the coronary arteries following a heart attack. SSO2 Therapy provides an infusion of superoxygenated blood, which enables a high rate of oxygen diffusion into ischemic tissue. SSO2 delivers high concentrations of dissolved oxygen, at hyperoxemic levels, focally to the area of myocardial damage. This diffusive transfer of O2 to areas most in need does not depend on blood flow, and thus SSO2 can easily access the endothelial cells of capillaries suffering from edema (swelling). SSO2 is able to reverse this edema response in the microvasculature and restore flow, nurturing surrounding heart tissue with oxygenated blood.
