Framework for Researching and Designing Products for the Operating Room

摘要

Since several years, design approaches have shifted from being either technology-centred or being human-centred towards a combined method, focussing on relationships between system elements. Although several frameworks have been described in literature, the framework described by Kim Vicente (2006), the Human-tech approach, is most comparable to the research and design strategy applied at our faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) at the Delft University of Technology. This approach distinguishes five levels (Political, Organisational, Team, Psychological, and Physical) and can be used for research and product design. Within IDE, the Medisign group focuses on research and product development for surgery in the operating room. Surgery is performed to care, cure and prevent other humans from illness. When designing products for the operating room, the designer has to deal with many restraints, because the operating room is a restricted environment with strict rules and guidelines where humans play a central role. The main design method applied is the method by Roozenburg and Eekels (1995). This method defines product development as an iterative, goal-directed thinking process in which problems are analyzed, objectives are defined and adjusted, proposals for solutions are developed and the quality of those solutions is assessed. A first step in designing products for the operating room is that both engineers and medical specialist speak the same language. This can be improved by using ‘Participatory Design' as a methodology during the design and research process. Participatory Design actively involves the user into the design process, leading to a product that meets the user's specific needs. The design process is based on ‘trial-and-error' and emphasises on performing feasibility studies with a prototype in practice. Subsequently, the user's feedback used to improve the product proposal. This paper provides a framework for research and design for the operating room. The framework is based on the design method of Roozenburg and Eekels, the Human-tech approach and the Participatory Design methodology.