IVD Technology
Magazine
IVDT Article Index
Originally published November, 1997
Medical product design gets new awards program
The hard-won achievements of diagnostics manufacturers and their suppliers could soon be in for special recognition through a new awards program designed especially for the medical device and diagnostics industries.
The Medical Design Excellence Awards will honor the accomplishments of medical product designers and publicize the industry's best technological innovations. The awards program is sponsored by Canon Communications llc, publisher of IVD Technology and Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazines. "As the leading publisher and trade show producer for the medical device and diagnostics industries, Canon envisions these awards as a way to distinguish the inventive contributions of designers and engineers who are leading the progress of medical technology," says Bill Cobert, president of Canon Communications.
"These awards are unique," says Amy Allen, the program's director. "Where else could a company gain recognition for bringing to market a new generation of analytes or reagents, developing an innovative automated lab system, or transferring diagnostic technologies from the clinical laboratory to point-of-care or home use? This program will make all of that possible."
The program will offer awards in two categories: finished medical devices, and components and materials intended for medical applications. "The Medical Design Excellence Awards will reward the designers and manufacturers of products that are improving health-care delivery, reducing the cost of developing and manufacturing devices, and advancing the state of the art," says Allen. "Diagnostics manufacturers have a lot to offer in all of these areas. With their products, they are making significant advances in reducing health-care costs, increasing ease of use, and bringing innovative technologies to the point of care. We hope that many IVD companies will enter the competition and receive recognition for their efforts."
The annual program was created in collaboration with the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), which has elevated public understanding of industrial design in part through its sponsorship of the Industrial Design Excellence Awards published each spring in Business Week magazine. IDSA is endorsing and administering the Medical Design Excellence Awards and will oversee their judging process.
"These awards will focus attention on the complexity of product development in the medical device and diagnostics industries and will showcase examples of how that development can be done well," says Kent Ritzel, IDSA medical section chair and director of Metaphase Design Group (St. Louis). "The program will be a valuable educational vehicle that should help companies improve their competitiveness. As a result, it will foster the development of better products by encouraging investment in high-quality design and engineering."
Entries will be evaluated for their innovation, functional improvement, and business benefits. Products must be commercially available in the United States by the entry deadline of January 26, 1998. Winners will be announced at the Medical Design & Manufacturing East 98 Conference and Exposition, which will be held June 2—4 in New York City.
For further information and an entry form turn to page 18 of this issue. Or visit http://www.devicelink.com/awards, or call Kathy Leftwich of IDSA at 703/759-0100 or Amy Allen of Canon Communications at 310/392-5509.
