• We have been involved in the medical device development business for 25 years. It's not as glamorous as the consumer products sector but there are many reasons it remains a great fit for us. 

Sleek and shapely consumer products like cell phones, flat screen TVs, and some kitchen gadgets are celebrated and “sexy”. Medical devices are not so revered. Some are elegant in their own way, but outside of a hospital or doctor’s office most people don’t recognize the products we design. If there was a choice, wouldn’t a firm want to be closely associated with the former group? Maybe not. Rumor has it that a number of product design firms want to change their business emphasis and begin designing medical devices. We understand their motivation, and would like to affirm the reasons why medical device design has been our primary interest for over 25 years. 

In the 1970s our three founders were working in the medical device field either as designers, engineers or managers. At the time, their interests were in science, biology, and electronics, fields closely associated with medical products. When they formed Omnica in 1984 the partners chose to stay involved in the same industry, because it was what they knew best. The nature of the projects and values of the industry continue to mesh well with Omnica’s philosophies. 

Business philosophy
As members of the medical device community, we pursue quality over quantity, which conflicts with the reality that drives the consumer industry. Our clients don’t ask us to use inferior materials or shortcut the design process to save money. They recognize that end users depend on medical devices to exceed expectations, and not by narrow margins, especially for Class II and Class III devices. These products are controlled by the FDA and must pass special labeling requirements, performance standards, and post market surveillance. Consumer device manufacturers cut costs by setting their standards just high enough not suffer too many returns or recalls. Legally they have minimum guideline standards, but other than UL and CE (in Europe), third party oversight is limited. 

"Just good enough" is not good enough.
Medical products tend to stay on the market longer and are not necessarily replaced by new versions every 6 months to a year. It is another convincing reason that “just good enough” does not suit us or our customers. The extended life cycle prompts us to do a thorough job and produce devices that are built to last. Since we probably won’t revisit redesigns of the same product for many years, our people are constantly motivated by the challenges of other new devices. The side effect is an ever changing environment that ensures Omnica employees maintain interest in their work. 

Activities that involve cutting-edge technologies and fabrication methods are intellectually stimulating. Since medical devices are usually manufactured in smaller volumes we find ourselves working with materials and methods that are usually ignored by other industries. As an example, we are now designing a handheld product which uses a Kevlar and memory wire drive chain integrated with rare earth magnets. It’s a slim chance a mainstream manufacturer would employ such exotic materials in a consumer product. 

Clients sometimes challenge our team to investigate projects that may involve an unproven concept or idea. That’s all right with us, we have a special R&D group who is experienced in concept feasibility and testing. The team is particularly motivated when we are hired to incorporate a core technology or IP into an innovative medical device. Clients prove their intent by giving us the latitude to tap our resources and explore every possible solution. It’s exciting, and an ideal fit for all of the Omnicans. 

The medical community has special expectations.
Speaking from experience, we can tell you that medical device development is not an activity a company should consider because it looks like a good change in direction. In addition to the proper tools and vendor connections, it requires a group of experienced individuals who can appreciate a unique set of expectations. Members of the medical community have well-defined time and cost sensitivities, performance thresholds, and attention to detail. For those who successfully make the transition, the rewards are quite different from those in the consumer industry. The products are not as alluring or recognizable, but work in this field can give a firm the opportunity to develop new and complex products which can benefit patients’ lives and the quality of care from their service providers. 

Unlike most consumer products, in medical devices we incorporate materials that work the best, not necessarily those that are the least expensive. In this handheld surgical device (pictured left) we used rare earth magnets and chose Nitinol memory wire and Kevlar for the drive mechanism. 

Learn more about our capabilities, and what we can do for you, visit www.omnica.com