Design thinking brings versatility, value to ophthalmic device
Bringing visions to life is Design Central’s specialty—and this time, we got to take it literally. TearScience engaged Design Central to help create the LipiScan, an ophthalmic device used to diagnose dry eye and ocular surface disease (OSD). Instead, we blew their minds (their words, not ours) by reimagining just what the device could be. We put our knowledge of human factors to use to offer creative solutions and make impactful design decisions that ultimately resulted in a more portable, versatile and streamlined product—one that fits seamlessly into the TearScience line and offers eye care professionals (ECPs) an efficient and effective experience.
Client
- TearScience
Industry
- Healthcare
Capabilities
- Product Design
- Prototyping
- User Experience
Objective: A compact, portable meibomian imager to optimize workflow for eye care professionals and align with TearScience’s growing line of products.
Early concepts consider human factors, flexibility
Anthropometric measurements, specifically the distance between and the angle of the eyes, influenced our initial schematics. We explored how the camera could move around on the product and what the needs were in terms of range of motion in order to get an accurate and readable image of the glands. Using our understanding of human factors, our sketch concepts allowed TearScience to consider multiple options for how an eye care professional might interact with the LipiScan and access the patient.
Storage options, size and mobility add value
Our final designs featured a clean, compact and durable structure with multiple storage areas for power cords and other accessories. This allowed ECPs to use the LipiScan in more than one office—adding longevity, versatility and value. We also focused on design for manufacturing assembly (DFMA), considering materials used in the making of the product. Our final computer-aided design (CAD) renderings represent the device that you see on the market today, a meibomian imager that aligns with the client’s visual brand language (VBL) and offers ECPs a quick and efficient experience.