Practice-oriented innovation for resource-saving processes in the operating room
The BlueLavage suction and irrigation gun is a system for cleaning tissue during surgical procedures. It flushes bone and tissue particles, bacteria and foreign material out of the wound and sucks them off continuously.
Together with our partner UTK Solutions, we developed this completely new resource-efficient unit in the field of medical technology.
VIDEO: Sustainable product development - Projekter Industrial Design
What is behind the idea?
The issue of using resources plays a major role in medical technology. Products in this sector are subject to strict requirements in terms of use and materials, such as sterility. It appears that disposable products are essential for hygiene reasons. In Germany alone, around 434,000 irrigation systems are used in operating rooms every year. These are regularly completely disposed of immediately after use. The consumption of around 334 tons of plastic, 2.6 million batteries and 434,000 motors per year is far too resource-intensive. And yet these figures only relate to a single product.
BlueLavage is rethinking the most environmentally problematic components of the system. UTK Solutions came to us with the idea of recycling parts of the product. And in this way, to reduce almost 50% of the regular plastic and electronic waste.
For this achievement in sustainable product development, BlueLavage received the NRW Efficiency Prize 2019 and the IF Design Award 2021.
concept
We developed concepts that enable the housing and drive unit to be separated. In a workshop, we worked out ways to implement the idea and at the same time meet the strict hygiene and safety guidelines for sterile intensive care.
The innovative separation of the BlueLavage into a single-use handpiece and a reusable drive unit with patented locking results in a significant improvement in favour of sustainable production and use compared to conventional solutions. The motor can be reused up to 150 times in this way. The necessary sterility requirements are met by a packaging concept with an ergonomic feed hopper. The funnel allows the DriveUnit to be inserted hygienically during surgery.
Formal design
For hygiene reasons, the handpiece is designed as a disposable product with a single use. Low manufacturing depth and short production cycles keep the energy required for manufacturing and the costs of the short-lived housing low.
Both the choice of colors, different surface qualities and the subtle honeycomb pattern in the front logo area still create an appropriately high-quality professional look that suits the environment. The focus of the design on its functional areas simplifies handling and gives the single-use product the necessary confidence in its reliability.
Product function, ergonomics and handling
The ergonomic insertion aid allows the surgeon to insert the DriveUnit in such a way that neither he nor the sterile outer side of the handpiece is contaminated.
The self-explanatory design and the special coupling between drive unit and pump prevent incorrect operation. A status LED permanently shows the current status of operational readiness. The roughness in the gripping area allows the handpiece to be guided safely. It is possible to adjust the flushing stage to specific requirements at any time. For safety reasons, batteries and electrical cables can be omitted in the operating room.
Unique selling point and innovation
70% of suction and irrigation systems in Germany are manufactured in a less environmentally friendly way as pure disposable products. Existing multiple-use systems have the disadvantage that they can no longer be used after use without renewed sterilization. The innovative BlueLavage DriveUnit, which is completely integrated inside the handpiece, does not come into contact with the sterile area due to the sealing lid and the use of the insertion aid. Sterilization of the DriveUnit is therefore not necessary at all. This sustainable product development and its modern, simple design makes BlueLavage unique in the market.
Make an impact together
With BlueLavage, 53 t of electronic waste, 164 t of plastic and 2.6 million AA batteries can be saved annually compared to comparable products in Germany alone. It is less expensive than the competition, and all parts that do not come into direct contact with the patient during surgery are reused. The high level of operating safety also offers many advantages in the operating process.
The product is unique, environmentally friendly and, with over 1.2 million operations using such systems, there is great demand across Europe, as well as enormous savings potential in resource consumption.
Design, engineering and production go hand in hand in the development of sustainable products. Time and again, we can start at interfaces between the areas. This provides opportunities to exert influence, critically question existing systems and develop changes.
