Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 8.25
Common “lever” type water taps (faucets).
The lesson here is do not reinvent the wheel - many of the ergonomic lessons are in textbooks
catalogs, and your end-users' brains.
Figure 8.25 illustrates two typical, modern water taps (or faucets). For people who cannot
grip easily, the standard tap is better than useless. These “lever” types of tap have been in
use in hospitals for years (because you don't need to use your hands to activate them); they
are therefore perfect for those who cannot use their hands. Modern electronics means that
the taps can now be automatic. This is an example of “inclusive design”: designs that can be
used by able and physically challenged people alike. Inclusive design is a natural extension of
ergonomics; it expands the population to include those who were previously excluded.
There is a plethora of topics on ergonomics and inclusive design. I leave you to ind one that
you like. Just remember you cannot design the item to be ergonomic if you have not found
out “who” it is to be ergonomic for! Please do not forget that your device will eventually be
applied to a patient: hence they MUST be in the list of “whos.”
8.8.2 Man-Machine Interface
This crosses over with ergonomics. Its main concern is the interaction between your device
and any of the end-users. It is used extensively where computers are involved and many
times, mistakenly I propose, is only applied to web pages (and the like). However, you should
consider it with greater detail.
Consider a piece of equipment to be used in the operating theater, where there is lots of blood.
Blood and other body fluids are great lubricants and make items very slippy. If your device
has been coated with body fluids, are any knobs, switches, etc. “turnable”? Can the theater
staff (wearing surgical gloves too) actually use your device?
If your device relies on a software interface, is it intelligible by the user, not just the
program author? You probably have experienced a new mobile phone and the complexity for
the first few uses.
Hence MMI is all about making any interface with an end-user logical and easy. Once again,
using the FMEA sheet from earlier will help you to solve this issue too. After all, not being able
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