Integrated Blood Test Device

This product was designed for a medical start-up company looking to develop an integrated blood test device. It was to be used predominantly in remote areas, where access to clinics and trained medical personnel is often limited.

The integrated blood test device allows diagnosis of a variety of conditions including HIV. Different test assays (test strips) are incorporated depending on the test to be carried out. This has global applications and is particularly beneficial in developing countries where many people do not have access to health care clinics. In such cases, early diagnosis of serious conditions is very difficult.

Existing blood collection kits were available at the time, however, these generally consisted of many separate parts. Using kits of this sort can be confusing and often the resultant blood sample still needs to be sent for analysis before a result can be determined. If the blood sample is not collected correctly, the result may be deemed invalid, resulting in a further wait for results.

The integrated blood test device combines a blood collection system with a test kit. It is easy to use and provides a result almost instantly. The device incorporates a lancet (needle), a blood collection tube, an activation button, result window, antiseptic pads for cleaning the wound and even a sticking plaster.

Designing this product required an extensive research phase. This included purchasing and testing various existing products. A concept development phase was then conducted, during which a variety of blood collection systems were considered. Various forms were developed in order to determine the most user-friendly product configuration.

A number of prototype units were then produced using various rapid-prototyping techniques. These were then utilised as part of a user study and test phase before finalisation of the design.

The final deliverable for this project included all production drawings, test documentation and promotional images.

This product is now patented in several countries around the world.