Burgopak has worked with medical product design experts Team Consulting to produce a novel medical device packaging concept, which is said to use the Japanese principals of ‘poka-yoke’ (mistake-proofing) for the first time in the sector.
The poka-yoke design concept originated in 1960s Japanese manufacturing, and seeks to prevent human error.
Team Consulting came up with the packaging concept for Burgopak, following a number of user studies that showed users make more mistakes if they are presented with all the components of a device at the same time, with only paper instructions for guidance.
The concept was developed into a fully functioning prototype in time for the Pharmapack Europe event in Paris, 12-13 February 2014.
According to Team, rather than relying on a paper instructions for use (IFU) and user intuition, the poka-yoke packaging presents users with each part of the device in order, with clear graphical instructions on how to construct and use the device at every stage.
This ensures users cannot put the wrong pieces together or miss out key steps.
By applying poka-yoke principals to packaging, Team says it “hopes to remove some of the fear and anxiety patients experience when using a medical device”, as well as avoiding the need for “time-consuming and costly design overhauls” of the products themselves.
“Patients don’t get to grips with new drugs and delivery devices in an environment devoid of emotion and confusion,” says Team Consulting’s director of design Paul Greenhalgh.
“Their minds are clouded with feelings of anxiety or they are trying to take a lot of new information in.
“At these important first touch points we need to provide them with a positive experience to help them get familiar with their new device.”
Greenhalgh adds that Team set itself the challenge of “seeing whether you could apply something found in manufacturing and assembly and apply it to the pharmaceutical market”.
www.burgopak.com
www.team-consulting.com
