neo-capsul ®: Transportation incubator

• www.paraid.com/neo/capsul
• www.paraid.com/neo/index

The challenge

Existing transport incubators are essentially adapted versions of hospital incubators and are designed to meet the requirements of the most critically sick neonates. This means that they are not suitable for the high levels of sound and vibration encountered in an ambulance during a transfer. They are massively over specified for the majority of transfers. ELEMENT ZERO_SIX started with a blank sheet of paper, unconstrained by design legacy and in a position to design from the ground up.

Approach

The first part of the development process was to map out the scenarios of use and understand exactly what the requirements of transport incubators were for the whole medical sector. We found that the over specification of systems meant that huge amount of redundant capital was being tied up and that the traditional rectangular design with large flat surfaces was acting as a drum skin and amplifying sound.

By working with vibration experts to develop and test a variety of different configurations and layouts we were able to create a design with no external flat surfaces, which massively reduces the vibration and sound. Considerable time was then spent working with leading clinicians to review, refine and test the design to ensure we had found the optimum solution.

Result

The neo-capsul® is a quick and easy, mass market transport enclosure for low-dependency newborns. Heated by cutting edge conductive mattress technologies, it has a lower price point and weight than traditional transport incubators. Curved exterior panels provide improved acoustic and vibration performance which was confirmed by laboratory testing.

The unit is entirely double glazed for maximum heat retention and acoustic attenuation with better patient access and visibility than traditional incubators. The neo-capsul® has unique slide away hand ports, whole body access and improved head access.

Awards

• 2007 International iF Product Design Award
• 2007 Design Week Product Design (Industrial) Award
• D&AD Awards 2007, Commendation