Contribution of Design in the Developmental Process of External Prosthetic Medical Devices

Aware of the importance of systemic and multidisciplinary approaches to the development of a new product but also of the synergy of variables and dimensions such as formal-aesthetic, emotional, and usability for its success and for the decision of buying, an active research based on user-centered design methods was carried out. We are seeking to find and validate, through methods such as literary review, direct observation, surveys, interviews and by designing and prototyping a new product, the variables and their relations so that issues such as user needs, as a whole, and organizational expectations, among others, be considered in the design phase. The project chosen to validate this research aims to optimize endoskeleton prosthesis for lower limb and therefore the quality of life for amputees. In the first methodological moment, i.e. analysis, several variables related to shortcomings of the current products and possible improvements were identified through interaction with users. With these data it is hoped to surpass the kind of devices limited to reproduce a walking cycle and obtain effective solutions both for the initial phase of rehabilitation as for the further active life of the patient.