BAUSCH + LOMB - Specialist article: Design in medical technology
Medical standards are rising - as are the demands on the design of the devices that practices and clinics use to demonstrate the value of their services. For products large and small, the technology must therefore not dominate the appearance.
Real wood parquet flooring, furnishings in "beautiful living" style: when you open the door and take a first look, it is not immediately clear whether you are entering a five-star wellness hotel or a modern medical practice somewhere in Europe. The reason: more and more medical services are being excluded from general insurance cover and are being financed by the patient. Practices and clinics want to set themselves apart from other providers and express the value of their services through their medical equipment.
Their design is therefore adapting to the trend: Dental chairs and treatment units must no longer look like high-tech instruments of torture, as was often the case in the past. They must exude a wellness ambience.
Large medical devices in particular are increasingly being designed more architecturally and as part of the practice furnishings. Their formal details are much more sensual and friendly than the classic machine design we were used to. New surface textures are also being introduced: wood and graphic applications as well as lighting elements. At the same time, practices in an urban environment have to cope with the spatial conditions and rents: Designers therefore pay attention to the efficient use of space.
One example of what a product designed with these considerations in mind looks like is the 500 Hz excimer laser type Teneo 317, which Bausch + Lomb Technolas, Munich, has developed for refractive eye surgery - i.e. laser eye surgery that is mainly performed in private practices and financed by self-payers. Employees at Busse Design+Engineering GmbH in Elchingen have revised and redesigned the device. The Teneo 317 now looks more compact and requires a significantly smaller footprint. This means it can be integrated into almost any practice. At the same time, the laser arm has been ergonomically optimized so that the doctor has more freedom of movement and a larger field of vision.
The curved two-tone arm conceals the dark-colored optical components and gives a more delicate appearance. With its rounded corners and two-tone design, the main body gives the impression of an architectural element. The white cover, which faces the patient, contributes to a pleasant atmosphere.
