product design & development
jet
cannulation training tool
For a hemodialysis patient, learning to self-cannulate and do treatments at home can be a game changer. But there’s one hitch…
self-cannulation
In this project, Sam Treviño and I combine our respective clinical experiences and created a tool that will revolutionize how cannulation is learned.
Special thanks to my co-inventor, Sam Treviño, and Lacye Treviño for sharing this picture with me for this site.
this very special project
This was one of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my career and I am forever thankful to Fresenius Medical Care for affording me the opportunity to work on it.
Self-cannulation is the biggest hurdle for patients to enter into a self-care modality in hemodialysis.
Doing self-care improves outcomes and can save lives. Getting people over the hurdle of a key component.
Project Objectives
Create a training tool that addresses fear of needles and allows patients to develop muscle-memory and build confidence in a safe and effective manner.
My Contributions
I am co-inventor. I also led the design effort, was an individual contributor to the design and research efforts, and drove the socialization and adoption of the tool.
Product Features
- Wearable modular system of components
- Materials selected for feel of human tissues
- Electronic feedback for correct cannulation and infiltration
- Configurable setup for more personalized training
Our UX philosophy on this project is very nicely summarized in the following quote. To me, it is the cornerstone of everything I believe and strive for as an experience designer:
A story in Research
This project was more than just the creation of a product. While it did provide me with a unique glimpse into the end-to-end product development cycle, and afforded me tremendous creative freedom to solve a real problem in a unique way, it is the patient and clinician stories that we learned along the way that really made it meaningful.
Accessibility and healthcare equity were also key factors in the creation of this product. We wanted it to help as many people as possible, which meant keeping the design simple, the materials easy to source, and the final price-point as low as possible.
In the end, we achieved every objective.
The numbers
And what good is a project story without a few numbers?
design cycles
months to product
users tested
concept failures
Learn more about Sam & Lacye’s journey and the important work they do by visiting UrineInspiration.com.
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I welcome any feedback comments or questions about any work you find on this site. I am also always interested in exploring new opportunities and new ideas.