Mehrafza Mirzazad

EMERTEST

A single-use kit for testing blood type

Issues

Human-centered design

Design thinking

Medical design

Emotional Design

Design research

Biomimicry

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Services

Product design

UX design

3D modeling

Prototyping

Branding

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Design Researcher

Industrial Designer

Credits

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Industrial Designer

Industrial Designer

Awards

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Amid the chaos of an emergency, complex first aid devices are often barriers to rapid intervention. The fast and correct distribution of blood is of vital importance, making blood tests a fundamental part of the response to an emergency. Unfortunately, the complexity of existing test kits makes them inefficient, possibly slowing down medical care when time could mean the difference between life and death.

Existing kits for testing blood type are unnecessarily complex for emergency situations. 

They consist of single-use needles and three kinds of antibodies which must be combined with blood on a flat glass or paper surface in order for analyzation. This process costs precious time in a fast-paced emergency situation when medical technicians may be simultaneously attending to multiple injured patients.

EMERTEST has been inspired from leech anatomy and physiology and designed to be a fast and hygienic way of documenting blood types in emergency situations. This flat device includes the needle on its head and antibodies in its hairline channels which react with blood. Its retracting needle immediately returns inside its casing after use, maximizing safety. EMERTEST is single-use only. 

To use, simply remove the EMERTEST from its packaging and open its plastic protector. Apply the needle to a sterilized area of the patient's skin for an instant reading of blood type. Health care professionals can note this information directly on the EMERTEST.

Each EMERTEST has been individually sealed and sterilized for patient protection. If an individual envelope has been damaged or opened, sterility cannot be assured.

Ideation and concept development