New medical device designed by Teesside University lecturer

A new piece of hospital equipment has been developed to help detect faults with existing medical devices in hospitals and healthcare facilities.

The new PatSim200 patient simulator has been developed by biomedical testing technology company Rigel Medical with the help of Teesside University lecturer, Mark Beckwith.

Beckwith, a senior lecturer in the University’s School of Design, Culture & the Arts, has over 25 years’ experience in product development and has previously worked with Rigel Medical. This latest project involved six months’ design, development, and prototyping work.

The device mimics the most common vital signs of patients, such as body temperature, blood pressure, heart-rate and respiration. By using these vital signs the device can put other medical equipment through its paces, highlighting faults and ensuring that the monitors are accurate in real patient situations.

About the project Beckwith said: “Once I was given the technology, I looked at the aesthetic of the design to ensure that it was saleable and good to look at. The second part of the project was ensuring that it could be manufactured economically and easily assembled in the factory.

“I’m very pleased with the final design; it is already proving popular with the NHS. Rigel has received interest in the product from the USA and Malaysia only two weeks after the initial launch. Working on live projects like this really helps inform my teaching, as it is very important to keep abreast of changes in the industry and real-life experience is the best way to do that.”