Medical-equipment design is so conservative, most companies think that innovating is a gamble. 3D CAD and design-analysis technology, which some progressive medical companies are already using, take the risk out of innovation. Analysis tools reveal flaws that could slow clinical trials and regulatory certification, letting engineers fix them quickly without physical prototypes. Companies that use simulation have also reduced design cycle time anywhere from 20 to 70%.

Working from data generated by 3D CAD programs, analysis software can simulate a design's behavior as if it was a physical object. Engineers use such representations to iterate more precisely than they could with hand calculations or physical prototyping. Once the analysis is set up, engineers run it over and over after simply changing values, rather than repeating the hand calculations. And unlike physical prototyping, software-based analysis costs nothing more than the software. In fact, it cuts prototyping costs because designs that have been analyzed and modified are more accurate when they head to prototyping. This reduces the number of prototypes needed to perfect a design.

Germany-based Dräger Medical, for example, used analysis software to redesign an anesthetic unit and ended up with a more cost-effective design that took fewer prototypes without expensive outside analysis. Their idea was simple: build the unit from plastic instead of aluminum. But finite-element simulations revealed that the unit's plastic shell would deflect enough to break a silicon lip that sealed gas conduits. The company used an outside lab to run FEA calculations on the initial redesign, but at a cost of three months and $26,000. For the next phase of the redesign, the engineering team used FEA software to perform the same calculation in just two days, helping reduce the overall design cycle 50%, and reducing the number of prototypes from eight to two. Analysis software also helped Dräger detect and correct a condensation problem that could have caused a failure.

The company's experience shows that an ability to detect and correct design flaws has an obvious upside for medical-product designers. Insulated from the likelihood of a serious late-stage error, companies can add features and optimize designs without fear of longer times to market. These advantages and improved product performance will set products apart in this highly competitive market.

For example, the basic operation of a CT scanner doesn't vary much from one version to the next because much of its performance is determined by federal regulations. Companies that want to set themselves apart have to do it “around the edges,” as with durability and reliability, distinct advantages for cost-conscious administrators. Conceptual-stage analysis lets engineers simulate stress on a scanner's revolving camera to determine what components might fail under heavy usage. Such information lets designers strengthen components by gradually adding mass, stopping at the precise point where too much mass would affect the machine's operation. The same approach applies to the development of any medical implement.