KINGSPORT, Tenn., Sept. 18, 2006—Eastman Chemical Company has launched a new medical section on its Eastman Innovation Lab Web site (www.EastmanInnovationLab.com/medical) for designers and brand owners. The section is being introduced at the 2006 Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) National Conference and Gallery Sept. 17-20 in Austin, Texas.
Eastman's medical market team was witness to a unique class project at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), a leading private, nonprofit design institution, in which students created concepts for medical devices and packaging that focus on market trends and unmet customer needs.
Robert Fee, professor of SCAD’s industrial design graduate programs, and 14 fourth year students in his design innovation class were involved in the project. Over a six-week period, the students studied Eastman™ materials; trends such as home healthcare, an aging population, and minimally invasive devices; and explored ways in which they could use these materials to conceive of medical devices and packaging that could help meet the needs of those trends.
From an educator’s point of view, Fee considers the project a phenomenal success. “The assignment was a challenge that immediately charged the student’s imagination. It was just the right mixture of facts, problems and appropriate ambiguity at the front end.”
“Medical products touch our deepest human emotions,” said Jack Chan, market development manager, medical devices, Eastman. “They provide safety and convenience for healthcare professionals, and comfort patients and families. Often, these products are the difference between enduring and enjoying life. With that in mind, the students incorporated their own experiences into the project, injecting each product design concept with a truly human element.”
Four student design concepts were selected to be featured in the “Imagine the Possibilities” Concepts section of the Web site. These ideas include:
That Loving Feeling: A baby scale by Jonathan Miller. This design concept envisions warmth and comfort being provided by Eastman’s Tenite cellulosics and the snug fit of a contoured design.
Emphasizing the “Fun” in Function: An idea for customized glucose monitoring wrist watches for diabetic sufferers by Kate Butler. Butler envisions the use of Eastman™ materials to customize and help personalize a detection device into something that is fun and fashionable.
When Every Second Counts: Ready-for-use syringe packaging concept for emergency situations by Christine Doolittle. This design idea demonstrates how packaging can eliminate steps and save precious time in emergencies.
Living with Dignity: Tubeless IV system by Jonny Elaesser. The design concept does away with the stand and tubing, packaging everything into a compact system that can be worn on the arm. Elaesser envisioned the use of Eastman™ materials to create the system's housing.
In addition to the Concepts section, the medical site also includes a Segments section and a Material Map. The Segments section provides an overview of how Eastman materials are used in several medical market segments and can make a difference in various applications. The Material Map is an interactive tool that allows designers to compare Eastman polymers and competitive materials on the basis of such attributes as chemical resistance, toughness, clarity and gamma and e-beam stability. From these sections of the site, designers and brand owners can access more detailed, performance-related information on each material, enabling them to choose a material early in the design process that may meet their product development needs.