Design story — Smartguide, a device to help treat cerebrovascular accidents
Smartguide is a device that aims to help treat cerebrovascular accidents (strokes). Nowadays, to treat strokes, surgeons use the patients’ vascular system as an access route to the brain. However, the devices in use today offer limited control and lead to an unnecessary increase in the length of the operation. Smartguide technology, developed by Guillaume Petit-Pierre and Marc Boers, is like a guiding thread that moves smoothly through the blood vessels, making it easier to navigate and access the lesion for treatment. The device helps neurovascular surgeons to efficiently access hard-to-reach parts of the brain and to direct the head of the device in real time by navigating, on average, three times faster in the cerebral arteries compared with existing tools. This is possible thanks to the use of a patented micromechanical system that gives control to the surgeon and reduces the risk of infection during the operation.
After initial work on the mechanical part, the team realised that what was logical from a mechanical point of view was not necessarily logical for a surgeon. This initial observation drove the two engineers to work with a designer to review the ergonomics of the tool and ensure optimal handling.
To take up this challenge, Sumegha Mantri, industrial designer graduated from ECAL, sought to start by observing surgical practice in operating theatres to understand the surgeons’ movements. Thanks to this first step, the team found that actions and the level of control were closely linked. Beyond ergonomics, the tool was meant to assist in each of the operation’s sequences and integrate perfectly into the surgeons’ physical environment. “The impact of these observations was extremely beneficial for us, both a discovery and a learning experience”, explains Artiria founder Guillaume Petit-Pierre. After the observations, between 20 and 30 prototypes were made and tested with a group of neurovascular surgeons in order to get their feedback. The numerous tests helped adjust the manipulation and level of control of the tool. Thus, several key points were integrated into the design of the product: initiating natural and intuitive controls, ensuring that the tip of the tool did not retract abruptly, taking into account the gloved grip to facilitate handling and finally, making the tool visible on the operating table to facilitate intuitive handling. Thanks to Mantri’s help, the tool’s appearance looked good and it adapted well to the surgeons’ hands and gestures. Moreover, in order to ensure a high level of professionalism for potential clients and investors, the designer also proposed to create the packaging. “The packaging made a real difference. The result was immediately more professional, which helps in a fundraising campaign”, adds Marc Boers.
Since the collaboration, Artiria has completed a fundraising campaign of CHF 3 million and is one of Switzerland’s most promising start-ups with a recent entry in the TOP100!
