Such was the challenge faced by UK-based Photo Therapeutics. The firm wanted to capitalise on the latest research showing how a combination of medication and exposure to special LED lights could effectively treat non-melanoma skin conditions previously treated with painful and expensive surgery. The company contacted design group, Lucid Innovation (www.lucidinnovation.com) to convert the concept into a working product that could be used in clinicians’ offices around the world. Lucid was already a user of SolidWorks 3D mechanical design software, and its engineers were going to need to capitalise on the software’s productivity and efficiency to meet Photo Therapeutics’ requirements for performance, dependability, aesthetics, and most of all, fast turnaround. The result of all this effort was Omnilux, the first non-surgical treatment device for non-melanoma skin conditions.
“Our business had no established product to emulate. We were starting from a clean sheet, developing a complex system,” said Photo Therapeutics Director Phil Charlton. “We needed design and manufacturing partners with people and technology that could work together quickly and effectively, communicating ideas with our team and our customers all over the world. We hired Lucid Innovation Group largely on the basis of its long track record using SolidWorks, not just as a technical design tool, but as a way of clearly visualising ideas.”
Lucid’s first task was to solicit input from a focus group consisting of doctors, clinicians, marketing professionals, and patients about the functional requirements for the product. Engineers applied that feedback to rough sketches that they quickly modelled in 3D using SolidWorks. These 3D images were subsequently reviewed by the focus group, enabling the engineers to continue refining the basic design until everyone approved it.
“There was no product before this. We were blazing a new trail and therefore, we had to get plenty of input up front,” said Alistair Williamson, Lucid’s managing director. “The timeframe meant we had to get it right the first time. Using SolidWorks, we were able to get quick verification of design ideas from those who would be using the product. That kind of input is crucial to product functionality. Quickly turning that input into solid models for prototyping is paramount for meeting tight production schedules.”
Lucid kept this focus group informed and solicited its feedback using SolidWorks eDrawings, an e-mail-enabled design communication tool. With eDrawings, Lucid engineers could send easy-to-understand solid models that doctors could review and comment on without downloading software or understanding engineering details. Lucid also used eDrawings to communicate design concepts to parts makers in Taiwan. It used SolidWorks PhotoWorks photorealistic rendering tool to provide life-like images of the device for marketing purposes. “eDrawings created a common language among our engineers, the engineers in Taiwan, and the doctors, clinicians, and marketers reviewing the product,” said Williamson.
SolidWorks’ intuitive environment allowed Lucid engineers to quickly build solid models of the Omnilux and troubleshoot issues such as part interference. The software’s surfacing capabilities enabled the team to create the sweeping shapes that make the Omnilux’s structure rigid yet elegant. The team used COSMOSXpress design validation tool to ensure that the Omnilux’s multi-position arm, which held the LED light source, would be light enough to use, cost effective enough to make, and strong enough to stand up to constant use.
Lucid took the Omnilux from concept to shipped product in ten months, meeting Photo Therapeutics’ timeframe and allowing it to get the product to market ahead of any competitors. Since the product’s debut, Lucid has adapted the technology to create products that treat acne and rejuvenate skin. Now there are more than 2,000 units in use around the world.
“The complexity of electro-mechanical assemblies and mechanisms that move in several directions means we have to use 3D modelling,” said Andrew Hodgin, Lucid’s director of innovation. “Our people get a kick out of using SolidWorks, because it helps them do their jobs better, delivering faster design and automating essential but mundane tasks like creating bills of materials. SolidWorks gives our designers the tools to work as a team with anyone, and teamwork grows our business.”