3M Tissue Management

Healthcare Associated complications amount to an estimated $37B, Infections are almost $45B, while surgical complications related to tissue management account for $579M. Meaning, open abdominal and pelvic procedures can cause serious issues, including non-target tissue trauma, which can greatly affect patient outcomes, thereby increasing costs.

Our goal, to design a medical device that gently and reliably retracts tissues and organs while minimizing damage to non-target tissue (including delivering excellent visualization of the surgical field, and surgical efficiency). We were able to help the team identify and prioritize key product requirements that best align with the programs value proposition. Also, utilizing learnings from observational, qualitative research and converting those key insights into product concepts and prototypes.

In addition to leading the team through a holistic, user-centered process, we helped shape the very foundation of the program through continual, iterative design testing and prototype validation. We created over 50+ prototypes, 30+ outer materials with 10+ different aluminum core designs.