Medical Device Cart Advisor Professor Block Client Viasys Healthcare Peg Rickard and Art Kealy Joe Cabelka Team Leader Jennifer Wager BSAC Emily Andrews Communicator Tony Schuler BWIG 12 13 06 Table of Contents Abstract 3 Background Project Motivation 3 Current Device 4 Electroencephalography 6 Ergonomics 8 Competition 9 Design Constraints 11 Materials 12 Alternate Designs Design I 13 Design II 15 Design III 17 User Survey Results 19 Final Design 22 Monitor 23 Keyboard Tray 24 System Components 25 Footprint 26 Push bar 27 Cable Management 29 Additional Storage 30 Costs and Materials 31 Future Work 31 Ethics 33 References 34 Appendix A PDS 36 Appendix B Cart Usage Survey 38 Appendix C Push Bar data 40 2 Abstract The goal of this project was to develop a cart that houses all the components for monitoring an electroencephalogram EEG The cart should be designed with respect to ergonomic standards to facilitate easy workflow and ensure the comfort and safety of the users while maintaining a compact footprint and low production costs Each of three preliminary design alternatives focused on one of the following aspects usability at various heights optimizing usable work surface and storage and cable management User survey information regarding the usability of the cart was obtained from current EEG technicians using the cart From the user survey data we developed a final design which provides additional workspace with the addition of a mounted monitor and a sliding keyboard tray more storage from rearranging the components and adding removable baskets cable management an adjustable push bar and an open foot print for comfort Our adjustments address all of the concerns of the customer while creating a more ergonomic design Background Project Motivation The goal of this project is to create an ergonomically correct device cart to house an Electroencephalography EEG system produced by Viasys Healthcare The current cart that accompanies the components of the EEG system is often not purchased by Viasys customers because it does not adequately meet their needs Viasys currently receives many complaints and suggestions regarding their EEG cart The current cart has no options for adjustment to accommodate multiple users no leg or foot space minimal work surface minimal storage and no solution for cable management 3 Our goal is to research these specific complaints and along ergonomic considerations design a cart that not only fulfills customer needs but also facilitates easy comfortable workflow to ultimately increase Viasys customer satisfaction and profits 16 Current Device Viasys Healthcare currently produces approximately 30 carts to store medical device equipment They have had many complaints from their customers regarding the usability of all of their carts They are interested in developing a new mid sized cart to house their EEG equipment If this project is successful in addressing customer concerns Viasys anticipates transferring and applying many of our design concepts into a new line of carts Figure I Above is the current mid sized cart from Viasys that would house EEG equipment 4 Figure II A current Viasys cart in use at the UW hospital fully loaded Note the lack of additional storage space The main problems encountered with the current cart regard usability at multiple heights lack of work surface and minimal storage and cable management The current cart has no adjustable components making it very uncomfortable people of various heights to use The push bar on the back of the cart is mounted at one height which is not ideal for pushing Also the push bar is mounted too close to the back of the cart for the user to walk and push the cart comfortably with hitting their feet Additionally there is virtually no work surface on the cart for filling out charts and other tasks that may need to be performed in addition to the EEG procedure The monitor and keyboard occupy all of the desk space Furthermore there is no additional storage space for items including cleaning supplies the user may require aside from the components of the EEG system Finally the cords from the EEG components are loose and not organized The cables get in the way of task performance and are often run over when moving the cart In general the current cart from Viasys hinders work flow and is not adequate for its user population 16 5 Figure III Note the minimal storage space on a current fully loaded cart Electroencephalography The electroencephalography or EEG procedure records brain waves used to detect electrical activity in the brain Abnormalities in the brain can be detected by recording the electrical impulses that the brain uses to communicate An EEG primarily records the impulses from the cerebellum which controls speech thought memory and voluntary actions The cerebral cortex is responsible for higher brain functions the thalamus carries signals from the sensory organs to the brain and the reticular activating system sends signals to the body to sleep and wake This procedure is also often used to measure the electrical signals in the cerebral cortex the thalamus and the reticular activating system 6 Figure IV Here you can see a picture of the EEG procedure taking place 7 The procedure involves a technician arranging electrodes typically around 12 on the patients head The electrodes are fixed into place with sticky paste The patient must remain still during the procedure as movement can interfere with the signals The electrodes transmit the electrical signal to an amplifier and the results are recorded in the system s software EEGs aid in diagnosing and managing several disorders The EEG is a critical test in diagnosing and managing areas of unstable electrical impulses in the brain that result in epilepsy Other rare seizure disorders can also be identified with EEG and treatments can be monitored as well An encephalopathy is any disease that alters brain function and can be caused from many different sources which are also diagnosed by EEG EEG results may identify coma or stupor by a marked lack of electrical activity EEG is the main procedure used to identify and monitor many brain disorders The essential components of an EEG machine include electrodes an amplifier a computer and a monitor An EEG machine may also include a camera and or a photic In designing a cart to house an EEG system all of the components must be accounted for 6 12 17 7 Ergonomics Viasys Healthcare s existing EEG cart is designed with little
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