Making optometric therapy accessible through thoughtful design and engineering
Syntonic phototherapy, a form of optometric therapy, can be a life-changing solution for individuals aiming to balance their nervous systems. These multi-sensory processing delays often stem from injuries to the brain, including stress and trauma-related issues such as concussions or neurobehavioral diagnoses like Autism and ADHD. Syntonic therapy utilizes high-quality glass filters to customize light into specific wavelengths of visible light that positively affect one’s nervous system naturally. Dr. Steven Curtis, the visionary founder of EyeLux Integrations, is at the forefront of making this science accessible by developing effective instruments for both in-office and at-home treatments. Dr. Curtis enlisted the expertise of Design Central to design an instrument for home use that would effectively deploy this cutting-edge therapy in a highly portable, easy-to-use product offering.
Client
- EyeLux Integrations
Industry
- Healthcare
Capabilities
- Product Design
- Engineering
- Prototyping
Objective: To design a user-friendly, efficient, and portable instrument for Syntonic/Optometric Phototherapy Technology
Areas of opportunity
Together, EyeLux Integrations and Design Central identified key focus areas for improvement from their previous product offering. These areas of opportunity included simplifying end-user interaction, improving the filter change process, and bringing a higher level of perceived quality to the product through thoughtful application of design and engineering focused on manufacturing and assembling a low-production volume product.
It’s all in the details
The EyeLux addresses a common challenge for optometrists—a cumbersome filter change process. Alongside Dr. Curtis, our team developed an innovative filter system solution that automates and programs light intensity and transitions between two wavelength spectrums, all while incorporating a tool-free design for easy, patient-specific adjustments.
When designing an instrument for the home, the Design Central team sought to simplify instrument usage, setup, and transport. This simplification included a new streamlined user interface, incorporation of easy-to-use height and angle adjustment mechanisms, and a fold-flat carry handle.
Knowing EyeLux is a low production volume product, the Design Central team focused on low-tooling investment manufacturing options, part count reduction, and use of off-the-shelf components while building solutions for performance and product life concerns such as light leakage, light source maintenance, and significant heat transfer concerns. The result is a cost-effective, simple, yet professional design while maintaining product longevity and serviceability.
Prototypes that surpass expectations
Prototyping, conducted by Design Central, resulted in a highly detailed, fully functional, preproduction model that Dr. Curtis then utilized for functional testing and initial discussions with fellow optometrists about integrating the Eyelux instrument into their practices. After successful testing and outreach, the EyeLux portable instrument is poised to make this revolutionary vision therapy widely accessible. With several hundred units now being utilized in practices around the country, the EyeLux is already positively impacting the lives of countless individuals.