medPhoton ImagingRing
medPhoton ImagingRing
medPhoton ImagingRing
An end-to-end redesign of the medPhoton x-ray imaging HMI for improved mobility, accessibility, ergonomics and overall usability. This case study follows the journey of how research led to redesign of a complex medical device system.
An end-to-end redesign of the medPhoton x-ray imaging HMI for improved mobility, accessibility, ergonomics and overall usability. This case study follows the journey of how research led to redesign of a complex medical device system.
An end-to-end redesign of the medPhoton x-ray imaging HMI for improved mobility, accessibility, ergonomics and overall usability.
Medical Devices
Medical Devices
Medical Devices
UX / UI
UX / UI
UX / UI
Redesign
UX Research
UX Research
UX Research
Redesign
Redesign
Role
Role
UX / UI Designer
UX Researcher
Project Lead
UX / UI Designer
UX Researcher
Project Lead
Team
Team
Corey Tran
Richard Parayno
Mats Reckszügel
Corey Tran
Richard Parayno
Mats Reckszügel
Tools
Tools
Figma
Sketching
Carboard Prototyping
ProtoPie
Arduino
3D Printing
Figma
Sketching
Carboard Prototyping
ProtoPie
Arduino
3D Printing
Research Methods
Research Methods
Interviews
Surveys
Digital Ethnography
Context Capturing
Competitior Analysis
Context Mapping
Desk Research
Workshop
Interviews
Surveys
Digital Ethnography
Context Capturing
Competitior Analysis
Context Mapping
Desk Research
Workshop
Duration
Duration
Oct 2022 - Feb 2023 (5 mo.)
Oct 2022 - Feb 2023 (5 mo.)
?!
Problem Space
The Context
The current generation of the ImagingRing O-ring is controlled by the HMI device. However, the movement of the system requires too many steps.
"The biggest problem we want to address is the mobility. Controlling the device can be a bit stiff sometimes"
medPhoton
00
Project Outcomes and Key Learnings
Outcomes
Redesigned physical and digital interface for next device iteration
Clustering of similar buttons for improved ergonomics
Reduction of unnecessary screens for improved ease of use and user experience
A defined front and back
Multimodal input feedback
Points of Improvement
Get stakeholder buy-in as soon as possible (engineering team, CTO and PM were deeply on board, but the CEO was not) to increase facilitate larger investment
Integrate with Quality Management System (QMS) to ISO (13485), FDA, and IEC complacencies at the very start (due to strict medical device regulations)
Negotiate for usability testing ASAP (limitation of time)
Team
Corey Tran
Richard Parayno
Mats Reckszügel
Role
UX / UI Designer
UX Researcher
Project Lead
Tools
Figma
Sketching
Carboard Prototyping
ProtoPie
Arduino
3D Printing
Duration
Oct 2022 - Feb 2023 (5 mo.)
Research Methods
Interviews
Surveys
Digital Ethnography
Context Capturing
Competitior Analysis
Context Mapping
Desk Research
Workshop
?!
The Problem Space
The current generation of the ImagingRing O-ring is controlled by the HMI device. However, the movement of the system requires too many steps.
"The biggest problem we want to address is the mobility. Controlling the device can be a bit stiff sometimes"
medPhoton
Outcomes
Redesigned physical and digital interface for next device iteration
Clustering of similar buttons for improved ergonomics
Reduction of unnecessary screens for improved ease of use and user experience
A defined front and back
Multimodal input feedback
Points of Improvement
Get stakeholder buy-in as soon as possible (engineering team, CTO and PM were deeply on board, but the CEO was not) to increase facilitate larger investment
Integrate with Quality Management System (QMS) to ISO (13485), FDA, and IEC complacencies at the very start (due to strict medical device regulations)
Negotiate for usability testing ASAP (limitation of time)
00
Project Outcomes and Key Learnings
01
UX Audit To Understand The Current State
Methods
usability heuristics, mapping and contextual inquiry
usability heuristics, mapping and contextual inquiry
At the start of the project, the medPhoton team wanted us to improve the mobility of the system. As an external party, we chose to take holistic view of the system by making a field site visit to observe the system in use and it's current form of interaction, especially when controlling the ImagingRing O-ring device - a form of contextual inquiry.
Through observations, usability heuristics and mapping of the HMI controller, we concluded that the controller lacked effective ergonomic and interaction affordances. The button layouts were also quite confusing and required a high degree of training for the everyday medical professional to understand as a user.
02
Pains of Medical Experts in Context
Methods
Expert Interviews (+Thematic analysis), Competitive Analysis, Mapping of Operating Rooms, Desk Research, Customer Feedback Issues
To further contextualize the actual use of the device, medical experts were consulted, related medical imaging devices on the market were investigated, and both current medical room standards and layouts were explored.
Takeaways From Contextual Research
Keeping it simple, sterile and usable sits at core of the design (current HMI requires specialist training to learn and radiology professionals don't have time to learn it)
Image quality was one of the biggest considerations in radiological images, therefore the redesign should not obstruct too much of the digital interface
Channels of feedback should be clear and obvious on medical devices
Size (of device) and speed (of image produced) is important since space is limited
Physician not always the primary device controller
Expert Interviews with Medical Professionals
Radiologist
"What's important is that x-ray images are produced quickly with high quality"
OR Nurse
"The operating room is so busy that it's not always the case that only one person operates medical devices. Long training to use these devices are also a barrier"
OR Surgeon
"The orientation of the operating room has a huge impact on the medical devices available in the space"
Radiology Technician
"Generally medical imaging devices are locked in place, so one that could move around effectively would be convenient"
Expert Interview Themes
Controls are important, but not always obvious
Specific use-case scenarios
Importance of sterility is context-dependent
Training require for device use
Smaller form factor beneficial
Mobile-first
Physician not necessarily the primary controller of device
Spatial arrangement of operating room is important
Speed of image production and retrieval is very critical
Exploratory Research Grounded in Context
02
Pains of Medical Experts in Context
Methods
Expert Interviews (+Thematic analysis), Competitive Analysis, Mapping of Operating Rooms, Desk Research, Customer Feedback Issues
To further contextualize the actual use of the device, medical experts were consulted, related medical imaging devices on the market were investigated, and both current medical room standards and layouts were explored.
Takeaways From Contextual Research
Keeping it simple, sterile and usable sits at core of the design (current HMI requires specialist training to learn and radiology professionals don't have time to learn it)
Image quality was one of the biggest considerations in radiological images, therefore the redesign should not obstruct too much of the digital interface
Channels of feedback should be clear and obvious on medical devices
Keeping it simple, sterile and usable sits at core of the design (current HMI requires specialist training to learn and radiology professionals don't have time to learn it)
Image quality was one of the biggest considerations in radiological images, therefore the redesign should not obstruct too much of the digital interface
Channels of feedback should be clear and obvious on medical devices
Size (of device) and speed (of image produced) is important since space is limited
Physician not always the primary device controller
Expert Interviews with Medical Professionals
Radiologist
"What's important is that x-ray images are produced quickly with high quality"
OR Nurse
"The operating room is so busy that it's not always the case that only one person operates medical devices. Long training to use these devices are also a barrier"
OR Surgeon
"The orientation of the operating room has a huge impact on the medical devices available in the space"
Radiology Technician
"Generally medical imaging devices are locked in place, so one that could move around effectively would be convenient"
Themes
Controls are important, but not obvious
Specific use-case scenarios
Importance of sterility is context-dependent
Training require for device use
Smaller form factor beneficial
Mobile-first
Physician not necessarily the primary controller of device
Spatial arrangement of operating room is important
Speed of image production and retrieval is critical
Controls are important, but not always obvious
Specific use-case scenarios
Importance of sterility is context-dependent
Training require for device use
Smaller form factor beneficial
Mobile-first
Physician not necessarily the primary controller of device
Spatial arrangement of operating room is important
Speed of image production and retrieval is very critical
Exploratory Research Grounded in Context
Exploratory Research Grounded in Context
03
Design Direction and Ideation
Methods
Workshop (Affinity Mapping, Crazy 8s, T-bar), Redesign Direction (HMI2.0 vs. Voice Control vs. Gestural Control vs. Phygital)
Workshop (Affinity Mapping, Crazy 8s, T-bar), Redesign Direction (HMI2.0 vs. Voice Control vs. Gestural Control vs. Phygital)
Based on all the research gathered, a workshop was then conducted to hone in on a design direction, leading to four possible design directions:(1) iteration to current form factor of HMI (2) addition of voice control (3) gestural control (4) phygital-digital control.
In the end, we decided on a phygital control that had an integrated voice control function.
In the end, we decided on a phygital control that had an integrated voice control function.
Rationale
Improved form factor allows the user to hold onto the safety buttons when operating
A rotation dial for clustering movement and laser buttons into one modality
A digital slider that allowed modes to be swipe-activated instead of button-activated (reduces physical buttons and saves space on physical interface)
Operator sterility if a cover is added
At this stage, we also presented our work to the Project Manager and CTO, placing emphasis on Occam's Razor in our design decision (choosing the simplest option). Our argument was that he phygital approach would allow clustering of movement and fine-tune modalities into one locus of control, freeing up space on the HMI, while ensuring sterility, better ergonomics and ease of use.
02
Pains of Medical Experts in Context
Methods
Expert Interviews (+Thematic analysis), Competitive Analysis, Mapping of Operating Rooms, Desk Research, Customer Feedback Issues
To further contextualize the actual use of the device, medical experts were consulted, related medical imaging devices on the market were investigated, and both current medical room standards and layouts were explored.
Takeaways From Contextual Research
Keeping it simple, sterile and usable sits at core of the design (current HMI requires specialist training to learn and radiology professionals don't have time to learn it)
Image quality was one of the biggest considerations in radiological images, therefore the redesign should not obstruct too much of the digital interface
Channels of feedback should be clear and obvious on medical devices
Size (of device) and speed (of image produced) is important since space is limited
Physician not always the primary device controller
Expert Interviews with Medical Professionals
Radiologist
"What's important is that x-ray images are produced quickly with high quality"
OR Nurse
"The operating room is so busy that it's not always the case that only one person operates medical devices. Long training to use these devices are also a barrier"
OR Surgeon
"The orientation of the operating room has a huge impact on the medical devices available in the space"
Radiology Tech.
"Generally medical imaging devices are locked in place, so one that could move around effectively would be convenient"
Interview Themes
Controls are important, but not always obvious
Specific use-case scenarios
Importance of sterility is context-dependent
Training require for device use
Smaller form factor beneficial
Mobile-first
Physician not necessarily the primary controller of device
Spatial arrangement of operating room is important
Speed of image production and retrieval is very critical
Exploratory Research Grounded in Context
Methods
usability heuristics, mapping and contextual inquiry
01
UX Audit To Understand The Current State
At the start of the project, the medPhoton team wanted us to improve the mobility of the system. As an external party, we chose to take holistic view of the system by making a field site visit to observe the system in use and it's current form of interaction, especially when controlling the ImagingRing O-ring device - a form of contextual inquiry.
Through observations, usability heuristics and mapping of the HMI controller, we concluded that the controller lacked effective ergonomic and interaction affordances. The button layouts were also quite confusing and required a high degree of training for the everyday medical professional to understand as a user.
Methods
Workshop (Affinity Mapping, Crazy 8s, T-bar), Redesign Direction (HMI2.0 vs. Voice Control vs. Gestural Control vs. Phygital)
03
Design Direction and Ideation
Based on all the research gathered, a workshop was then conducted to hone in on a design direction, leading to four possible design directions:(1) iteration to current form factor of HMI (2) addition of voice control (3) gestural control (4) phygital-digital control.
In the end, we decided on a phygital control that had an integrated voice control function.
Rationale
Improved form factor allows the user to hold onto the safety buttons when operating
A rotation dial for clustering movement and laser buttons into one modality
A digital slider that allowed modes to be swipe-activated instead of button-activated (reduces physical buttons and saves space on physical interface)
Operator sterility if a cover is added
At this stage, we also presented our work to the Project Manager and CTO, placing emphasis on Occam's Razor in our design decision (choosing the simplest option). Our argument was that he phygital approach would allow clustering of movement and fine-tune modalities into one locus of control, freeing up space on the HMI, while ensuring sterility, better ergonomics and ease of use.
Methods
Sketching, Cardboard Prototyping, 3D Printing and Electronics, Redesigned Digital Interface
04
Iterations and Prototyping
The prototyping stage followed a progressive increase in prototype fidelity. Sketches and cardboard prototyping was done to visualize the interaction, ergonomics, and form factor of the device. We also performed a 5-person usability test in this stage to compare the feeling of the layout - resulting in the layout seen below.
The new controller was then 3D printed and fitted with Arduino components. I then redesigned the digital interface to cluster core functions and hide non-essential features into a navigation menu (to prevent information overload of the professional using the device).
04
Iterations and Prototyping
Methods
Sketching, Cardboard Prototyping, 3D Printing and Electronics, Redesigned Digital Interface
Sketching, Cardboard Prototyping, 3D Printing and Electronics, Redesigned Digital Interface
The prototyping stage followed a progressive increase in prototype fidelity. Sketches and cardboard prototyping was done to visualize the interaction, ergonomics, and form factor of the device. We also performed a 5-person usability test in this stage to compare the feeling of the layout - resulting in the layout seen below.
The new controller was then 3D printed and fitted with Arduino components. I then redesigned the digital interface to cluster core functions and hide non-essential features into a navigation menu (to prevent information overload of the professional using the device).
The new controller was then 3D printed and fitted with Arduino components. I then redesigned the digital interface to cluster core functions and hide non-essential features into a navigation menu (to prevent information overload of the professional using the device).
05
Results of The Redesign
Methods
Stakeholder Presentation and Discussion
05
Results of The Redesign
Methods
Stakeholder Presentation and Discussion
Updated Physical UI
Takes up a small portion of the screen
Integration of physical-digital interaction
Laser buttons and movement buttons clustered into mode metaphors
Fine-tune movement within modes clustered (reduction of movement redundancy)
Back grips added for improved ergonomics and ease of holding onto 'deadman' switches
Updated Physical UI
Takes up a small portion of the screen
Integration of physical-digital interaction
Laser buttons and movement buttons clustered into mode metaphors
Fine-tune movement within modes clustered (reduction of movement redundancy)
Back grips added for improved ergonomics and ease of holding onto 'deadman' switches
A Front and A Back Defined For Parking
A 'parking camera' was added to the digital interface. This also meant the front and back of the system was now defined (better for user orientation)
A Front and A Back Defined For Parking
A 'parking camera' was added to the digital interface. This also meant the front and back of the system was now defined (better for user orientation)
Active Interaction Feedback
Feedback on current device status (locked, unlocked, normal, radiate, and override modes)
Real Time Device Mirroring
Static overlays for orientation replaced with real-time representation
Real Time Device Mirroring
Static overlays for orientation replaced with real-time representation
Handless Control
Voice commands introduced for sterile controlling
Handless Control
Voice commands introduced for sterile controlling
Mode Features Clustered
Laser and movement modes clustered from 2 physical buttons on two sides to physical-digital slider mode selection with radial dial and joystick
Mode Features Clustered
Laser and movement modes clustered from 2 physical buttons on two sides to physical-digital slider mode selection with radial dial and joystick
Active Interaction Feedback
Feedback on current device status (locked, unlocked, normal, radiate, and override modes)
Methods
Stakeholder Presentation and Discussion
05
Results of The Redesign
Updated Physical UI
Takes up a small portion of the screen
Integration of physical-digital interaction
Laser buttons and movement buttons clustered into mode metaphors
Fine-tune movement within modes clustered (reduction of movement redundancy)
Back grips added for improved ergonomics and ease of holding onto 'deadman' switches
A Front and A Back
A 'parking camera' was added to the digital interface. This also meant the front and back of the system was now defined (better for user orientation)
Active Interaction Feedback
Feedback on current device status (locked, unlocked, normal, radiate, and override modes)
Real Time Device Mirroring
Static overlays for orientation replaced with real-time representation
Handless Control
Voice commands introduced for sterile device controlling
Mode Features Clustered
Laser and movement modes clustered from 2 physical buttons on two sides to physical-digital slider mode selection with radial dial and joystick
06
Limitations and Future Steps
Overall, this project was a very complex system involving many moving parts and considerations (ie., ergonomics, dangers of radiation, ethical concerns, data visualization, emergency stop controls, current ISO norms). While we worked on the controller itself, there are many things on the x-ray portion of the ImagingRing that could be improved. Due to the limits of time, we never had a chance to do a full usability test on the system (with additional limits of finding medical professionals who are already experts on the system).
Furthermore, as an extremely expensive and engineering-intensive pursuit requiring a minimum of three years time investment for an MVP, it did not make sense do a usability test given our limitations of time as a third-party (with additional technical integration times).
However, as a project in a niche biomedical technology market, it was very exciting to think about multimodal interfaces and design for medical experts. I am personally very happy with having have introduced UX into a company that had did not have any level of UX maturity.
06
Limitations and Reflections
Overall, this project was a very complex system involving many moving parts and considerations (ie., ergonomics, dangers of radiation, ethical concerns, data visualization, emergency stop controls, current ISO norms). While we worked on the controller itself, there are many things on the x-ray portion of the ImagingRing that could be improved. Due to the limits of time, we never had a chance to do a full usability test on the system (with additional limits of finding medical professionals who are already experts on the system).
Furthermore, as an extremely expensive and engineering-intensive pursuit requiring a minimum of three years time investment for an MVP, it did not make sense do a usability test given our limitations of time as a third-party (with additional technical integration times).
However, as a project in a niche biomedical technology market, it was very exciting to think about multimodal interfaces and design for medical experts. I am personally very happy with having have introduced UX into a company that had did not have any level of UX maturity.
06
Limitations and Reflections
Overall, this project was a very complex system involving many moving parts and considerations (ie., ergonomics, dangers of radiation, ethical concerns, data visualization, emergency stop controls, current ISO norms). While we worked on the controller itself, there are many things on the x-ray portion of the ImagingRing that could be improved. Due to the limits of time, we never had a chance to do an extensive usability test on the system (with additional limits of finding medical professionals who are already experts on the system).
Furthermore, as an extremely expensive and engineering-intensive pursuit requiring a minimum of three years time investment for an MVP, it did not make sense do a usability test given our limitations of time as a third-party (with additional technical integration times).
However, as a project in a niche biomedical technology market, it was very exciting to think about multimodal interfaces and design for medical experts. I am personally very happy with having have introduced UX into a company that had did not have any level of UX maturity.
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