IDC Designs New Suture Pack for Wego
The international product development agency, Industrial Design Consultancy Ltd (IDC), has completed a challenging new design for WegoSuture, part of the leading Chinese medical equipment supplier Weigao, which redefines current and traditional suture packs.
Within a six month time-frame, IDC devised a new suture pack for the medical profession which surpasses pre-existing patents with an innovative design that provides greater benefit for users. Traditional designs incorporate a needle and thread within a folded paper system, whilst newer and more costly options use a plastic track to encourage faster dispensation. IDC's product design team worked together with in-house engineers and model makers to research and test a design which drew on the notion of a plastic tracking system whilst removing the negative points discovered during the research and development stage.
Marc Tanner, who led the project at IDC, explained, "Research revealed several issues with top end products currently on the market. The basic packaging has a suture wound into a figure of eight and folded inside a paper envelope. The very best current products were built on a thread dispensation system which threatened to tangle at inopportune moments, particularly when using monofilament thread which often curls during use. In the middle of surgery, there isn't room for this kind of error. We looked very carefully at the many thread types, dispensing methods and needle curvatures to gradually break down the margin of error to create smooth, reliable dispensing every time."
The product development team avoided tight turns and corners when designing a track which would be compatible with all thread and needle types. Needle radius and curvature was researched extensively alongside varieties of thread. Nylon and polypropylene monofilament, absorbable, non-absorbable, and several woven materials such as polyester, were just some of the threads investigated. Model makers produced numerous quick-rig prototypes of each design concept which revealed that the shape of the track itself was paramount; a circle or oval worked best with all needle and thread types. This rigorous testing stage also allowed a full exploration of polymers to house the track. The IDC design, patented by Weigao, dramatically reduces the possibility of tangling or bundling occurring, or damaging thinner threads, when the nurse pulls the needle and thread from the pack quickly during surgery.
Manufacturing and assembly of the product itself was also a major consideration during the product development process. The shape of the design lent itself to quick and easy assembly. With sterility issues in mind and automation not an option during assembly, the suture pack was designed so that the needle could be inserted swiftly, easily and safely and the thread wound tight into the pack without bundling.
Tanner continues, "Perfecting the packaging design, labelling, logo and box graphics was just as important as the pack itself. Hitting the right note with appropriate, high-end branding for an international clinical audience was essential. We also worked out a clear and simple colour coding system which defines the type of needle and thread each pack contains, so that, at a glance, the theatre nurse be sure she has given the surgeon the correct suture."
The suture pack is a brand new design offering an alternative to current top products. It will be sold internationally by Wego Suture. Director of Wego Suture, David Song, commented, "With the development of the new IDC designed suture pack, Wego Suture has a world leading product with huge potential internationally. Weigao has invested in new state-of-the-art production lines to satisfy the expected demand for these sutures."
