Reinforcing patent application & improving the end user experience.
Vasorum’s Celt ACD (Arterial Closure Device) is used to deploy a biocompatible stainless steel plug to close an arterial incision following a catheter-based procedure such as the placement of an endovascular stent.
Having completed an initial phase of R&D the client brought us on board to shore up and reinforce their proposed patent claims by brainstorming and developing a pipeline of potential designs that could be used to achieve the same results. The ideation session generated a number of directions that Vasorum built into their patent claims to make the Intellectual Property more robust and difficult to design around.
Our input on the design of the delivery device began with a short phase of ethnographic research. In addition to this we also gained participatory experience by using a proof of concept prototype to deploy the implant in a specially designed test rig.
This was critical in the identification of a range of hidden and unmet user needs, which were addressed through the application of a systematic, design-led process along with scientific Human Factors Engineering principles. The result is a device whose simple and intuitive nature has been recognized as a major advantage over its competitors by International Cardiologists around the world.