02. Aspect Medical - A-2000 BIS Monitor
Emerging Technology: Peel and stick, plug and play
Aspect Medical, a pioneer and global market leader in brain monitoring for clinical applications, came to Continuum for a full program of industrial design, interface design and enclosure engineering for the A-2000, as well as packaging and disposable design for the sensor product.
Their emerging technology, Bispectral Index (BIS) monitoring, translates EEG information into a single number that represents each patient's level of consciousness. Using the A-2000 BIS Monitor allows clinicians to make informed decisions for optimal anesthesia. The design of the sensor incorporated both functional simplification and the use of on-product iconic instructions. The combined monitor and sensor designs met Aspect Medical's usability goal of peel and stick, plug and play operation. Finally, the design team created a more proprietary logo for the BIS technology and integrated that identity onto both the monitor and sensor. As a result, unit production cost was reduced 65%, and the zero footprint, universal mounting solution for the monitor has helped Aspect Medical to increase its installed base 16-fold. In addition, the design has helped to bring BIS technology to a variety of clinical environments beyond the operating room. In 2000, the company completed one of the most successful medical device IPO's of the year. The A-2000 won the first Design & Business Catalyst Award co-sponsored by Business Week magazine and the IDSA. Related Content |