Improving Accessibility through Design
Product: Forearm door handles
Company: Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB)
We’ve been working to support the NHS during the COVID -19 crisis through Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB), our local health board.
Ysbyty Glan Clwyd part of the BCUHB contacted us asking if we could print door handle openers that they had seen on the internet; these handles enable NHS workers to use their forearm to open doors rather than potentially passing a virus from hand to hand through normal opening.
Services
– Industrial design
– Product engineering
– Human factors
– In- house prototyping
– IP67 compliance
– Intrinsic safety compliance
– Manufacturing support
The problem
Having reviewed existing designs, we discovered that they only worked with one type of door handle and the materials being used weren’t cleanable due to their porous nature. They also weren’t robust enough for heavy traffic.
We created a new product design solution to overcome these issues, including prototypes for testing and then submitted a final design for approval.
The design
The design The new design works on both vertical and horizontal handles as well as left and right handed doors. It was 3D printed using a medical bio-compatible Nylon 12 material.
Supporting the NHS
As our contribution to supporting the efforts of the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak we’re going to provide 100 free handles to the Betsi Cadwaladr team.
The handles are already being used within the hospital and will provide benefits in the current crisis but could also reduce the spread of other longstanding infections in the future.
Get in touch
If you need a Product Design Consultancy with 3d printing facilities, Medical Device experience and ISO 13485 accreditation then get in touch today.
