Project Description

ELEVATING BEDSIDE CASE TO A NEW AND MORE HUMANE STANDARD

The innovative, award-winning I.V. House UltraDressing® provides tape-free protection and stabilization for the IV insertion site. Designed to fit either hand, or the arm, the ventilated, transparent dome secures the IV catheter hub and loop of tubing. The adjustable Velcro® closure is resealable and eliminates the need for over-taping on fragile skin. The fabric under the outer edge of the dome is gentle on the skin and comfortable for patients. UltraDressing® minimizes the need for painful IV restarts caused by bumps or pulls at the injection site. The clear plastic housing allows healthcare providers clear visibility to the IV site while minimizing the pain associated if the injection site is inevitably bumped when the patient moves.

  • Concept Design & Prototyping – Metaphase team collaborated with I.V. House to develop concepts based on their vision. Prototypes were developed to test on patients of all sizes and ages to ensure one universal design could be compatible for right and left hands and alternate sites such as the arm, foot, or leg.
  • Anthropometric Sizing Requirements – I.V. House wanted the UltraDressing® to be available for patients of all ages and sizes. Metaphase human factors and design experts defined the requirements that ultimately informed 6 different sizes that accommodate the smallest patients in the NICU all the way to large adult hands. Metaphase also had to ensure that the UltraDressing® could also accommodate the common alternate IV sites for all 6 sizes.
  • Commercialization Support – Once the design for the UltraDressing® was completed, Metaphase supported I.V. House as they worked with a contact manufacturer to perfect the tooling for their first run of products. Metaphase audited samples coming off the line to ensure that the intentionally positioned fabric cushions were placed as intended and critical details such as the placement of finger holes and the finish of the plastic domes met our standards.

SCOPE: RESEARCH, ERGONOMICS, & DESIGN