ScanTrainer
The Challenge
Intelligent Ultrasound approached GX with the task of generating a production design for a new haptic training device. The device was designed to teach doctors and sonographers vital obstetric ultrasound scanning skills before they scanned real patients.
The team at Intelligent Ultrasound had already made some initial products for their virtual reality trainer so wanted the finished product from GX to echo this design for the device. It was important to Intelligent Ultrasound that the final product did not include tooled components, which led them to enlist the help of the design engineering team at GX to create a robust, cost-effective model that would be economical to manufacture.
The Solution
Intelligent Ultrasound’s key consideration was to avoid tooling, so any changes in the design of the haptic, or any other small amendments, could be incorporated without the need for costly new moulds. The design team at GX created a working ScanTrainer™ product that matched the aesthetics of Intelligent Ultrasound’s initial design using only one tooled part.
Throughout the project the team at GX employed a strong value engineering mindset to ensure the product would be cost-effective to manufacture.
The Result
Re-engineering the base of the ScanTrainer™ saved Intelligent Ultrasound a significant amount of money per unit. This latest product has been well received, with GX recently supplying their third production batch of “Compacts”.
The GX team also created several auxiliary products to support the use of the ScanTrainer™ and enhance user experience.
The ground-breaking medical training device uses advanced haptic sensations so students can feel through the probe when they’re touching the scanning image. The probe the students hold connects to the haptic relay so they can see what they’re scanning using VR goggles or a screen. The cost-effective components designed and built by GX have helped the product become a global success.
The first ScanTrainer™ unit designed and built by GX went into production in 2014. A study conducted in April 2014 by Copenhagen University Hospital concluded that using the ScanTrainer™ greatly accelerated ultrasound scanning skills. Since 2014, Intelligent Ultrasound has been exporting the product worldwide, and were awarded the UK Healthcare Business Export Achievement Award in 2016.