Fluid dynamics and infirm users make for challenging medicine delivery
Koru Medical Systems
Flow Controller
Koru wanted to develop their own flow controller, a device that regulates the rate at which medicines are delivered to the patient from the pump. A competitor’s device was based on a clever internal valve design and was the industry standard, despite a propensity for leaking. Humanfactors had to circumvent the patent and develop an entirely new architecture for controlling the flow a variety of viscosities and volumes of medications, and package it in a product that was easy to manufacture while augmenting Koru’s evolving brand language.
Concept Development
This device helps deliver medication to people who are infirm, often elderly, and who may be suffering from conditions outside their primary illness: low vision, limited dexterity, cognitive issues. Ergonomics are critical. An oversized knob makes medicinal-flow adjustment comfortable, and the display enables patients to quickly dial in their flow rate.
Engineering
We explored all manner of valves, tube compression, tapered slides, and indexed wheels, but our primary challenge was managing the fluid’s velocity versus its pressure drop. Developing a torturous path for a fluid channel, lining up exit paths along an indexed control wheel, and engineering highly toleranced gaskets to prevent leakage, proved the most effective method for flow control and delivery.
Ergonomic Modeling
Models were quickly fabricated and evaluated by users of various capability in order to ensure proportions, features, and functional layout enabled intuitive and comfortable use.
