Medical Design Excellence Awards.

Required Items

The following materials are required. For an entry to be considered on time for the 2010 competition, all required materials and entry fees must be received by Canon Communications no later than 5:00 p.m. (PST) on January 15, 2010. Late submission or omission of required materials may result in imposition of a late fee or disqualification of your entry. Entries found to be incomplete after the final entry deadline are subject to disqualification regardless of when the original materials arrived or what entry fee has been paid. Entry fees are not refundable under any circumstances.

Completed Entry Questionnaire in a hard-copy version signed by the authorized submitter.

Completed Entry Questionnaire in an unlocked electronic version (can be e-mailed or sent on a PC-compatible CD-ROM). The downloadable Entry Questionnaire is provided as an unlocked Word document; when completed, it should be submitted in the same format. Do not lock the document or convert it to a portable document format (PDF) file. Do not alter the formatting of the questionnaire by changing type size or color or by resetting margins. The total length of answers to questions 10 through 16 should not exceed seven single-spaced pages.

Appendices, exhibits and figures referenced in answers to the Entry Questionnaire. Please submit each document as both an electronic version (can be e-mailed or sent on a PC-compatible CD-ROM) and a hard copy version (to be used in your product folder for jury review).

One high-resolution digital photograph that clearly depicts the entry. Entrants typically submit the product’s “glamour shot”—the main image used in promotional materials for the product. No artificial overlays, labeling, or logos should appear in the image areas of these photos. To ensure high-quality print reproduction, images should be saved at a high-resolution setting (300 dpi) for a width of at least 3 inches. Images saved as .eps, .jpg, or .tif files are preferred. Companies may submit no more than five alternative versions of their product’s "glamour shot". Please submit each image in both an electronic version (can be e-mailed or sent on a PC-compatible CD-ROM) and a hard copy version (to be used in your product folder for jury review).

Entry fee as required for the date on which the entry is to be received by Canon Communications. Make checks payable to Canon Communications LLC. If the entry fee will be paid with a credit card, the cardholder must authorize payment by signing and dating the hard copy of the Entry Questionnaire in the spaces provided.

Recommended Items

The following materials are recommended (not required) to supplement your entry as an aid to jurors during the judging process. Please note that submitting either a sample product or a product demo video is NOT required, however most entries usually include either a sample product, or a product video in lieu of a sample product, or both.

Additional photos and diagrams for jury review. Such supporting graphics might include different views or exploded diagrams to depict special features of the entry, photos showing enhancements over an earlier product, a series of photos or illustrations to help jurors understand how the product is used, or charts to illustrate business benefits associated with the product. Such optional images may include artificial overlays or labeling as necessary to direct jurors to features of importance. It is expected that no more than 25 optional images will be sent unless special permission is granted. 

Short product demo video (5 minutes or less) focusing clearly on the product’s design features and usage. Videos must be submitted on DVD or PC-compatible CD-ROM format. Each CD-ROM or DVD must be labeled with the company and product name. PC-compatible CD-ROM files playable via Windows Media Player or QuickTime are preferred.

Sample products for jury examination and display. Jurors can gain a better understanding of a device by handling and operating a sample product, and entrants are encouraged (but not required) to send actual working products whenever possible. Disposable products, surgical instruments, small patient monitors, and many other types of devices can be readily accepted for viewing by the jury. For small or disposable items, up to 50 products may be sent. In the cases of sample products too large, too bulky or too expensive to submit for jury review, entrants are encouraged, (but not required) to submit a short product demo video in lieu of a sample product.

Completed Airbill for the return of sample products. If you submit a sample product, please either supply a completed airbill for the return of your sample product, OR grant us permission to dispose of the sample after jury examination and display.

Extra product data sheets or marketing brochures for jury review and distribution (20 copies maximum). If you submit product data sheets or marketing brochures, please submit electronic versions of such documents and include with the electronic portion of your entry.