PRODUCT · 2019/20
Mico
A Partner in daily infusion care
Infusion stands, such as those used daily in hospitals and nursing homes, have seen little technical advancement over the past few decades.
Infusion stands are used to hold IVs, blood transfusions, infusion pumps, and drainage bags for blood and urine.
Existing infusion stands have serious drawbacks that can even endanger staff and patients.
Mico is a redesigned and reimagined version of the infusion stand that solves these problems.
PERIOD
Oct. 2019 – Feb. 2020
Bachelor's thesis
TEAM
Individual Project
MY ROLE
Research, Market Analysis, Concept Development, Testing, Design, Prototyping, Visualization
TOOLS
Rhinozeros, Cinema 4D, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere
01 STARTING POINT
Infusion therapy plays a major role in modern medicine and is used particularly in intensive care, emergency medicine, and anesthesia.
An overhaul of existing IV stands is long overdue, as the old models have seen little further development over the decades and have many drawbacks.
This is problematic because they are a product used daily and an extremely important and essential component of hospital equipment.
02 CONCEPT
TRADITIONAL IV STAND
MICO - A PARTNER IN DAILY INFUSION CARE
After identifying the biggest pain points in the current models of IV stands, solutions were developed to address these issues in the future.
01
Risk of tripping
Star base protrudes into the patient's aisle. Feet get stuck on obstacles of any kind.
No risk of getting caught. The handle provides additional clearance from the foot.
02
Privacy Screen
Labeled with the patient's name and medication, visible to everyone.
Slats provide visual screening and ensure privacy.
03
Procedure
No mounting hardware for items such as urine bags.
Option for hanging, with privacy screen.
04
Brake System
Brakes that are hard to operate.
The brakes engage easily with a single push.
03 DEVELOPMENT
DRAIN & COVER
The upper part of the foot features a mounting system for drainage tubes and urine bags. The mounting system is easily accessible and, thanks to a magnetically attachable cover, ensures privacy. The magnetic mount makes it easy to attach and remove the cover.
IV INFUSIONS
Both standard hooks and holders for glass bottles can be attached to the Mico. The hooks are simply hooked in and lock securely into place.
The cover is secured to the top of the Mico with a screw and can be rotated 45° in small, click-stop increments, so that in one position the IV bags are concealed and in the other position they are freely accessible.
This makes it easy for nursing staff to attach or hang IV bags.
BRAKE SYSTEM
The Mico's brake is very easy to engage with your foot: when you press down, two legs touch the ground. Because the brake engages at two points, the Mico can no longer spin. A second press releases it, similar to how a ballpoint pen works.
FOOT
Thanks to its C-shape, the base of the Mico does not protrude into the walking area and does not get caught on anything. This reduces the risk of tripping or falling. Two Micos can be nested inside each other to save space. The design is both understated and dynamic. Since there are no sharp corners, edges, or grooves, the base is easy to clean and disinfect.
04 PROCESS: IDEATION
I expanded on the experience I had already gained in the field of nursing during another visit to a hospital. There, I was able to experience the situations firsthand from the perspectives of both patients and nurses, which allowed me to identify the problems with the existing design and, consequently, the requirements for a revised version of the IV pole.
05 PROCESS:
PROTOTYPING
06 PROCESS:
MODEL BUILDING
