A solid modeling program and good data management let a medical design firm customize wireless and mobile workstations for the healthcare industry in less time than previously possible. Mobile computer carts designed by Flo Healthcare, Atlanta, Ga., (flohealthcare.com) lets clinicians access a patient's medical record from their bedside, while the workstation captures patient data such as pulse, temperature, and ECG in real-time.

But no two hospitals have the same requirements, so nearly 70% of Flo Healthcare (FH) orders require custom designs. “For example, a hospital might want a biometric log-in device at the top of their workstations to protect patient data,” says FH director of product development Darin Janoschka. “In that case, we need to extend the length of the display and make other modifications.” He says Autodesk Inventor from Autodesk Inc., Sausalito, Calif., (autodesk.com) lets his team create digital prototypes so they can test workstation components, from monitors to wheels, and make sure customizations are viable before building costly prototypes.

“Customers want to almost ‘touch and feel’ the design prior to purchase,” says Janoschka. “They need a demo to know the customized workstation will work. Detailed digital prototypes do the job. They show customers what products will look like and how they operate.”

The modeler includes AutoCAD Mechanical for 2D drawing and detailing. This lets FH bring 3D to its operations without compromising investments in 2D operations. To reuse design data, the company uses Autodesk's Vault to store 3D and 2D files which Janoschka says helps eliminate version-control problems.