Intelliguard
LVIS™
Anesthesiologist cart with smart RFID medication management
The Why
IntelliGuard wanted to make medication management in the operating room a disruptive technology that doesn’t disrupt. Medication management in the OR has many challenges and inefficiencies that lead to errors, wasted time, and wasted medication. IntelliGuard’s vision was to use their unique and patented RFID technology to optimize anesthesia drug delivery and improve medication inventory control. The solution, Linked Visibility Inventory System™ (LVIS™) needed to have a visual aesthetic and functionality that represents the importance of the anesthesiologist and fits seamlessly into the OR workflow.
The Who
IntelliGuard engaged DDSTUDIO to provide a human-centered iconic solution of products that would be easily adopted by the anesthesiologist, optimize operating room workflow, and differentiate itself from the competition. The aim was to provide a great user experience, develop brand loyalty and achieve design-driven business results.
The How
Patient safety is always top-of-mind for anesthesiologists and critical care teams, yet they are often in the midst of a complex and chaotic procedure with many distractions. Research indicates that stress during set-up and through surgery duration can cause confusion or worries about medication doses. This complex environment stimulated the Intelliguard team to perform several months of ethnographic research with anesthesiologists in the OR environment to understand their unique needs, emotions and workflow.
Location: San Diego, California
Client Type: Start-up
Industry: Medical Device
The Feeling
Focus is maintained on the patient. The user experience is simple and uncluttered. Meds to be used throughout the procedure can be placed on the top tray (another RFID read area). Authentication is through a wide touch area between the drawer and tray. Although the product has a friendly, anthropometric presence, this recedes into the background once the drawers are accessed. When all is packed away, the drawer indicators do a rhythmic dance to let users know the meds are being checked.
The Experience
The Intelliguard® Linked Visibility Inventory System™ (LVIS™) is the first anesthesia medication and narcotics inventory solution that combines secure medication storage and access with radio-frequency identification (RFID)-enabled automated data collection. A LVIS Station™ in each OR provides RFID-equipped drawers to securely store medications and narcotics. Inventory automatically updates in real time every time a drawer is closed—with no manual input—eliminating delays.
