Project Description

When a leading competitor launched a new balloon dilator for sinus surgery and quickly captured the majority market share, Medtronic knew they had to provide superior usability and performance to stand a chance of surviving in the ENT space. Observational research in the operating room informed designers to ultimately develop the NuVent™ balloon dilation device that reduces in number of steps to place and deploy the balloon during the surgery. In addition, the handpiece provides better precision and control for the surgeon during inflation and deflation of the balloon.

  • On-Site Observational ResearchMetaphase team observed sinus surgeries conducted by key opinion leaders to dissect the surgical workflow, analyze individual tasks, and identify human factors opportunities. Surgeons were interviewed to call out pain points with the existing instrumentation.
  • Industrial Design & Human Factors Engineering – Metaphase designers leveraged findings to optimize the ergonomics of the instrument handles and controls. Design team collaborated with Medtronic engineers to maintain compatibility with internal components.
  • Engineering Development – Metaphase human factors and design team evaluated functional prototypes developed by Medtronic to ensure that the final design complied with the anthropometric requirements of the surgeons.

SCOPE: RESEARCH, HUMAN FACTORS, DESIGN