Red Dot Winner HemoSystem

According to the World Health Organization, 50 million people each year are affected by a form of blood poisoning known as sepsis. Contrary to popular opinion, sepsis does not only occur in infected wounds. The risk is that any infection can lead to blood poisoning. According to the Deutsche Interdisziplinäre Vereinigung für Intensiv- und Notfallmedizin (German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine), the most common cause is an infection of the lung. Also, one in every five cases of sepsis is fatal.

HemoSystem aims to revolutionise the treatment of sepsis patients

The HemoSystem aims to lower the number of fatalities going forward. The innovative device filters the toxins out of the blood. The device and user interface are designed in line with the requirements of intensive care settings. The HemoSystem is based on specially developed, nanostructured magnetic particles. These particles are mixed with the blood, binding specifically to toxins, and are separated magnetically before returning the purified blood to the bloodstream.

Design role models ensure maximum operating safety

Apart from sepsis itself, errors in using medical devices often lead to incorrect treatment. These errors can be attributed to a lack of safety precautions during use. The general hectic nature of day-to-day work in intensive care settings compounds this situation. As a result, hemotune wants the device to be absolutely user friendly and thus as easy to use as possible. Dialysis equipment has provided inspiration for the design of the user interface. The workflows for the HemoSystem and for dialysis equipment overlap to a large degree, and staff already operate dialysis equipment on a regular basis. This means that they are familiar with using such devices.

“Winning the Red Dot Award: Design Concept 2022 is major recognition for our team and partner. Well-conceived design plays an important role in successfully implementing any new technology. We worked closely with doctors and nurses during development to ensure that our therapy can be used easily and safely in any ICU despite the radically new technology,” says Lukas Langenegger, CEO and co-founder of hemotune AG.

Experienced design company guides the design process

Alongside doctors and nursing staff, Meyer-Hayoz Design Engineering, a company experienced in the design of dialysis equipment, was also involved in the design of the device and the user interface.

The company works for clients in life sciences, healthcare and medical technology sectors and has already been able to support various start-ups with its many years of experience. CEO Wolfgang Meyer-Hayoz points out that companies demonstrably have a greater chance of market success and better performance if design is strategically and holistically integrated and lived in the company. “With start-ups, a technical innovation often marks the beginning. It is conceived or further developed by engineers and other scientists regarding to a specific problem identification and solution. This often happens without any design reference. If the innovation functions technically, the cooperation with the designer begins with regard to the intended use and application,” explains Wolfgang Meyer-Hayoz. “Ideally, differentiation from competitors or positioning is already considered in this phase. Klaus Lehmann, my design professor in Stuttgart, was already convinced: ’Technology leaders are usually also leaders in design’. It was and is a stroke of luck that Mr Langenegger, CEO of Hemotune, has this integrative understanding of design. Two other ingredients contributed to what we were able to achieve together in the two years of cooperation: the trust given to us from the beginning and the mutual open relationship. Both facilitated a commitment with heart and soul on our part as well,” Meyer-Hayoz continues.