<- Articles

EasySims, innovation in nursing

EasySims, innovation in nursing. At the moment of delivery, the foetus needs to be facing downwards, but it is very common, in 2 out of 6 deliveries, for the foetus to be facing upwards. This position results in a longer, more painful and more difficult delivery, which often requires the use of forceps or a caesarean section, with the risks that this entails. Currently, in the State, more than 1 in 4 deliveries are performed by caesarean section, while the proportion recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) should be 1 in 10. Knowing this problem, the Stimulo team began to collaborate with the midwife Vanessa Bueno, who has the support of the Innovation Unit of the Vall de Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), in order to respond to the need to develop the design of the pillow in a product, defining its characteristics for its manufacture and thus help in innovation in nursing.

Innovació en infermeria. EasySims, innovation in nursing.
Matron stimulo Vhir cushion

The origin of this idea is to be found in a clinical trial conducted by Vanessa Bueno on how to facilitate the rotation of the foetus during labour when malposition occurs. The ideal posture to achieve this is the modified Sims posture, with the woman in lateral decubitus (lying on her side) and the upper leg parallel to the lower leg and the knee turned inwards. To assess the effects of this posture on delivery,” explains Vanessa Bueno, “we did a study using the “legs” of the bunk bed to lift the leg with the woman on her side. The results showed that there were more vaginal parts, caesarean sections were reduced by 16%, and maternal and foetal morbidity was reduced, as well as hospital stay and subsequent visits to the emergency department, because there were fewer complications”. The results of the study have been published in the journal Birth.

Women +40% foetuses are facing upwards

Reduction -16% Caesarean sections

EasySims is the first venture of the design and innovation agency Stimulo design in the field of innovation in nursing with the aim of boosting the innovation processes of a sector that is at the service of patients on a daily basis.

The process that Stimulo defined with Vanessa focused on a series of regular meetings where the two teams shared information and results with the aim of developing a functional prototype that would respect the sleeping posture recommended for pregnant women, and allow it to be manufactured. These iterations have ended with the delivery of 8 functional foam prototypes with the option of a customisable textile cover.

Currently, any pregnant woman who needs to improve her side work (either because the foetus is not in the correct position or because the pelvis needs to be opened wider) can use the pillow at Vall d’Hebron.

Innovació en infermeria. EasySims, innovation in nursing

Easysims selected for CIMTI support

One of the five new projects chosen by the Centre for the Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technologies in Catalonia (CIMTI) was the Easysims pillow. Thus, the Easysims project, which has the support of the Innovation Unit of the Vall de Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), will benefit from the IMPACTO CIMTI mentor programme to accelerate its implementation in the health system and facilitate its arrival on the market.

Relacionat

  • Company of product development and innovation in the medical and health sector.

    The article highlights the importance of innovation in product development in the medical and healthcare sector. It mentions how collaboration with medical professionals and patients is essential to understand unique needs and comply with safety regulations. Advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality, is also being applied in medical product development.

  • Design and Health. Design as an opportunity in the health ecosystem.

    The article talks about the fundamental role of design in the health sector, especially in the field of medical technologies. One example is the startup New Borne Solutions, which has developed a device to detect childhood meningitis non-invasively in just three seconds. To develop this device, the company has worked with the design and health agency Stimulo, which follows a methodology based on immersion, design, development and implementation for design and health projects. Designer Ramón Martínez of Stimulo stresses the importance of having a multidisciplinary team to cover all areas of technical and clinical development, and comments that the best thing a designer can have is to know that the product he or she is designing can save lives or substantially improve the lives of patients.

  • How can product design help to successfully launch medical devices?

    Stimulo attended a workshop with more than 30 participants from the Southern European Cluster in Photonics and Optics (SECPhO) to share experiences on the development and industrialisation of photonic and optical devices. In the first block, Xavier Majoral, from Stimulo, highlighted the importance of design in the development of medical devices and how it can improve the experience of patients, doctors and nurses.