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ICU-Grade Monitoring for All Patients

patient in a hospital bed
The Story

Continuous, Accurate, and Comfortable Vital Monitoring

Up to 75% of adverse events and preventable deaths occur in unmonitored beds. Traditional “spot check” vital monitoring methods lead to delayed event recognition and treatment, thus contributing to unfavorable clinical outcomes. To combat these issues, Caretaker Medical pioneered a wireless, continuous, non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring device that eliminates monitoring gaps and improves quality of care.

With the strong market acceptance of their first-generation product, Caretaker saw an opportunity to redesign their device with an elevated form, fit, and function as they prepared to scale and expand into new markets. Caretaker engaged M3 to turn this vision into reality in a new device, the VitalStream.

vitalstream device
Our Solution

A Better Experience for Clinicians and Patients Alike

  1. Identifying important user interaction points and evaluating ergonomics to inform potential concepts that meet technical requirements and elevate the overall experience.
  2. Rapid prototyping for multiple concepts that address various user pain points to quickly determine best path forward.
  3. Evaluating component options and optimizing internal stack to decrease form size while maintaining device capacity.
  4. Simplifying assembly to drive down manufacturing costs.
caretaker vitalstream device
The Details

Packaging

Improving the internal architecture of the device was essential. The existing fluidics subsystem consumed a disproportionate amount of valuable space within the enclosure and was a headache on the assembly line. M3 completely reimagined the fluidics subsystem gaining back valuable space and optimizing the packaging for easy assembly.

Building on the gains from the fluidics redesign, surrounding component positions were determined, internal structures were designed and prototyped, and the device was ruggedized to protect the sensitive technology inside. M3’s packaging contributions ultimately helped reduce the device’s overall form, improve the reliability of the device, and drive down manufacturing costs.

Vitalstream exploded view

The Details

black box ergonomic evaluation on forearm

Ergonomics

Increasing overall usability and ergonomics was a top priority for VitalStream. Optimizing the design for the two main stakeholder groups, clinicians and patients, drove much of the innovation. To address clinician needs, M3 increased the screen size and made key device touchpoints cleaner and easier for clinicians to operate. Improvements in the patient experience include a more ergonomic device profile with a lower center of gravity to reduce device rolling, along with a comfortable and rugged armband design, and an overall reduced form factor.

Vitalstream prototype showing battery

Performance

Continuous monitoring allows for vital trend analysis where traditional point-in-time data does not. However, it creates a unique set of technical challenges. The continuous nature of the VitalStream meant battery life was a central consideration. M3 was able to maintain a 12+ hour battery life in a smaller package all while supporting a much broader set of features.

vitalstream cutaway view

Manufacturing Support

With the improved package design in hand, M3 worked alongside the Caretaker team and their manufacturer to closely monitor ramp up and early production phases for consistency and diligence, ultimately saving valuable time and money.

"The M3 team’s ability to collaborate closely with our team to understand our product goals and iterate multiple design options on a rapid timeline and tight budget was very impressive. Their creativity, attention to detail, and unconventional thinking yielded a Next-Gen product design that we are very proud of." Jeff Pompeo President & CEO, Caretaker Medical
The Result

Shifting the Paradigm in Patient Vital Monitoring

  1. New, elevated look and feel are representative of the highly sophisticated technology inside
  2. Improvements in ergonomics, packaging, and performance improve overall product experience for both clinicians and patients
  3. Extended reach of highly individualized, ICU-quality care to a diverse range of clinics
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