ViSi Mobile System for Vital Signs
Performing in the harsh environment of a hospital with Eastman Tritan copolyester
Who
Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and member of the board of directors for Sotera Wireless, Inc.
What
ViSi, short for vital signs, is a device worn on the wrist with a sensor going to the thumb and another sensor traveling up the arm to the chest continuously monitor core vital signs. “This is unparalleled,” described Dr. Eric Topol, board member of Sotera Wireless, the San Diego-based company that developed the device. “What we’re going to see over the next several years is something entirely different than the way medicine has been practiced for the last 30 years.”
Needs
Hospitals are very harsh environments,” explained Jim Moon, chief technical officer for Sotera. “Blood, vomit, drugs, you name it…will be spilled on this device. It will be dropped and banged against bed rails. So you have to find a balance with respect to the material that makes the product rugged, highly cleanable and has smooth surfaces for patient comfort.”
Material
Early in the development process, DD Studio collaborated with Eastman to use Eastman Tritan for the housing, lens, and connectors. Tritan is a new-generation clear plastic with excellent toughness and impact resistance. Unlike some plastics, Tritan is made without bisphenol-A (BPA) and it retains clarity after repeated washing without hazing or cracking. “When we machined prototypes out of Tritan, we discovered a feature unlike any other material,” explained Clear, “typically, there’s an inherent stress in the plastic. But with Tritan, there was no stress and the part was perfectly flat.”
Success
“The winner here isn’t the technology,” he added. “It’s the patients and healthcare professionals. It increases the quality of the services delivered, it increases the likelihood that bad things don’t happen when they’re not supposed to, and it increases the likelihood that patients can actually recover better, faster, and cheaper.”
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