Closing the Loop on Patient Interactions in Medical Device Design
Thursday, December 2nd, 2010When developing a movement disorder monitor it is especially important to consider the desired end user. Even the most advanced movement disorder device would be worthless if the user was either unsure or unable to operate it. This is something CleveMed focused on when developing Kinesia HomeView (a take-home PD symptom monitor to help clinicians observe patients’ symptom patterns over a period of time). Movement disorders involve symptoms that are challenging to design considerations. By bringing PD patients who experience these symptoms into the office to interact with Kinesia HomeView, important feedback about the system’s mechanical and software design was gained. Design features that could have been burdensome to the end user were addressed and changed as necessary. In this article I would like to mention some of the features that were refined as a result of the user-feedback:
Mouse replaced with Touch-screen:
Using a computer mouse to record diary information wasn’t always feasible for focus group participants who experienced tremor, so the mouse was replaced with a touch-screen computer. This allows the user to hit a large target on the screen as opposed to worrying about the fine-tuned control required to navigate a mouse.
Motion sensor simplified for easier application:
In order for the system to be effective, a motion sensor needs to be placed on the hand by the PD patient. In its preliminary design, the sensor unit for HomeView was rather bulky, and some participants who were experiencing tremor found it cumbersome to strap it on both wrist and hand as required. After feedback the sensor was condensed into a single compact housing attached to the index finger. This new design can be slid directly over the finger.
Patient-friendly docking station for charger:
Finally, charging of the finger sensor battery was changed from a USB cable to a docking station. The docking station allows the end user to connect the sensor using a much larger target than a USB cable provides.
If CleveMed had not consulted with Parkinson’s disease patients about the design of Kinesia HomeView, the end product would have been far from ideal for home use. Getting user feedback is important throughout the development process of new medical devices like Kinesia HomeView. Engineers who don’t have the same life experience as the desired end user, will be unable to consider every aspect that could challenge the proper use of a device. The more a company incorporates the end user in the product development process, the more successful their end product will be.