portable endo

This is my healthcare engineering project, where my team and I collaborated with ENT surgeons from CGH. The aim was to rethink and develop a novel endoscopy system suited for the primary care (non-specialist) setting.

My role as the hardware engineer was reimagine endoscopy techniques to bridge the gap between the complexity of surgical endoscopes and the capabilities of general practitioners.

Skills: DFMA, CAD, UX

Mar '22: Our patent application has been confirmed, and CGH is sourcing for a contract manufacturer.

This is my very untrained, very not-a-doctor teammate and friend inserting an endoscope up my nose and down my throat for 'user research' ↓

Reality Check 1: Physical mock-ups do wonders

When working with non-technical stakeholders (like doctors), my team and I faced much difficulty in eliciting feedback when presenting CAD drafts and hand-drawn sketches.

However, everything changed when we presented the doctors with low-fidelity physical mock-ups made from a mix of modelling clay, label tape, 3D-printed parts, and guitar strings. The feedback came in like a barrage.

Our clinical mentors living their best lives fiddling with the prototype

Reality Check 2: Montage analysis is hacking

Breaking the step-wise procedure of how each hand is used to operate a handheld instrument seems simple enough. However when done with immense detail, a montage analysis can reveal easily-overlooked hints to improve a design.

Montage analysis for how a clinician will use our product

Overarching Takeaways

The user is a treasure trove of the best ideas, it is the designer's job to tease out the hidden brilliance by whatever means necessary.

Multifunctional Portable ENT Endoscope